CARES Act Funding

The federal government has provided some emergency relief funds to support students. The purpose of the funds was to be divided to support campus operations and students. MD Anderson has made the decision to provide 100 percent of the funds to provide emergency support to the School of Health Professions Students. The goal is to distribute the received funds as widely as possible to eligible students based on the federal guidelines.

With the approval by Congress of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, funds were appropriated to assist institutions of higher education and their students. Included in the CARES Act are emergency grant funds for students. The U.S. Department of Education's only statutory requirement for use of the emergency grant funds is that “the funds be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).”

Emergency grants will be available for eligible students impacted by COVID-19 for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations for eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, i.e. food, housing, course materials, technology needs, childcare and health care. According to Federal guidelines, students in the following categories are not eligible to receive these emergency grants.

• Students exclusively enrolled in online programs before March 13
• International students
• Students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program

Approved grants will be disbursed through the UT Health Financial Aid office. Federal guidelines advise that only Title IV eligible students may submit an application for the CARES Act funds.

• All eligible students must have an active Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSFA) account and the application should be for FY20 with FY2017 financial information provided.
• All students will need to submit a completed application.
• Students will need to provide detailed supporting documentation for losses itemized in the application, including original receipts/documents supporting their loss with appropriate contact information to verify each loss, as appropriate.