HEERF IV

The University of South Carolina Aiken will make a final round of $3,860,260 in funding to students from funds provided to the university by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF III) through The American Rescue Plan (ARP). These funds support students paying for any component of their cost of attendance or emergency costs that may have arisen due to the pandemic.

To receive a HEERF IV Federal Grant for the Spring 2023 term, students must have been enrolled for the current Spring 2023 term in a degree program before April 27, 2023.

Based on additional guidance from the American Rescue Plan Act, the University of South Carolina Aiken developed the following plan for awarding and disbursing the funds.

Student Populations Excluded from the Distribution:

• Students enrolled as Non-degree

All students were awarded emergency grant amounts based on 1) Financial Aid eligibility and 2) enrollment status:

Eligible students were notified by campus email on Friday, April 21, 2023. A grant entitled HEERF IV Student Support will be awarded April 27, 2023. In the email, recipients can elect to have their HEERF IV funding pay their outstanding bill by completing a form with the Office of Business Services. Otherwise, all recipients will receive a refund of the grant.

All eligible students may access their Self-Service Carolina (SSC) account to view their award. Accepting the HEERF IV grant is not a requirement.

The message attached to the HEERF IV fund reads as follows:

USC HEERF IV grant funds are federal funds available to eligible students as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  The funds may be used to cover any component of the cost of attendance (tuition, books, living expenses, etc.) or emergency costs that have arisen due to the coronavirus.

HEERF III

USC Aiken will receive $4,476,080 in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF III) through The American Rescue Plan (ARP) to support students with paying for any component of their cost of attendance or emergency costs that may have arisen due to the pandemic.

To receive a HEERF III Federal Grant for the Fall 2021 term, students must have been enrolled for the current Fall 2021 term in a degree program before August 25, 2021.

Based on additional guidance from The American Rescue Plan Act, USC Aiken developed the following plan for awarding and disbursing the funds.

Student Populations Excluded from the Distribution:

§ Students enrolled as Non-degree

All students were awarded emergency grant amounts based on 1) Financial Aid eligibility and 2) enrollment status:

Eligible students were notified by campus email on Wednesday, September 28, 2021. A grant entitled USC HEERF III Federal Grant will be awarded on October 6, 2021. In the email, recipients can elect to have their HEERF III funding pay their outstanding bill by completing a form with the Office of Business Services. Otherwise, all recipients will receive a refund of the grant.

All eligible students may access their Self-Service Carolina (SSC) account to view their award. Accepting the HEERF III grant is not a requirement.

The message attached to the HEERF III fund reads as follows:

USC HEERF III grant funds are federal funds available to eligible students as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The funds may be used to cover any component of the cost of attendance (tuition, books, living expenses, etc.) or emergency costs that have arisen due to the coronavirus.

HEERF III Report (9-30-2021)

HEERF II

USC Aiken will receive $1,532,706 in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF II) through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) to support students with paying for any component of their cost of attendance or emergency costs that may have arisen dues to the pandemic.

To receive a HEERF II Federal Grant for the 2021 spring term, students must have enrolled for the current term and completed a 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Based on additional guidance from the US Department of Education regarding what populations of students can receive these federal grants, USC Aiken developed the following plan for awarding and disbursing the funds.

Student Populations Excluded from the Distribution:

• Students who did NOT complete a FAFSA
• Students enrolled as Non-degree
• International/DACA Students

All other students were awarded emergency grant amounts based on 1) Pell eligibility and 2) enrollment status:

Eligible students were notified by campus email on Thursday, April 8, 2021. A grant entitled USC HEERF II Federal Grant will be awarded on Monday, April 12, 2021. To receive the funds, eligible students must access their Self-Service Carolina (SSC) account and manually accept the award. 

The deadline for students to accept the award is April 30, 2021.

The message attached to the HEERF II fund reads as follows:

USC HEERF II grant funds are federal funds available to eligible students as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.  The funds may be used to cover any component of the cost of attendance (tuition, books, living expenses, etc.) or emergency costs that have arisen due to the coronavirus.

After acceptance of the award, the funds will be disbursed to the student’s account, and a refund will be issued.

UPDATE

In mid-July 2021, any HEERF II funding that had been declined or not accepted by the April 31, 2021, deadline in the initial awarding process was reallocated to students who;

• was enrolled full-time (12 credit hours) in the 2021 Spring term, and
• accepted a HEERF II award in the 2021 Spring term, and
• was eligible for a 2020-2021 Federal Pell Grant at the time of the initial award, and
• was enrolled and received Pell for the 2021 Summer term

This additional award was $362 per recipient.  The funds may be used to cover any component of the cost of attendance (tuition, books, living expenses, etc.) or emergency costs that may have arisen due to the coronavirus.

HEERF II Report (6-30-2021)

HEERF II Final Report (9-30-2021)

USC Aiken received $1,532,706 through the CARES Act to support students who incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

To receive a CARES Act Emergency Grant, students must complete the 2019-2020 FAFSA to demonstrate eligibility for Title IV aid.

Based on additional guidance provided by the US Department of Education regarding what populations of students can receive emergency grants, USC Aiken developed the following plan for awarding and disbursing the funds.

Student Populations Excluded from the Distribution:

• Students who did NOT complete a FAFSA
• Students enrolled as Non-degree
• International/DACA Students
• Students enrolled in 100% online programs (Palmetto College, RN to BSN, MBA, MEd)
• Students who withdrew prior to March 16
• Students not making satisfactory academic progress
• Students enrolled less than half-time

All other students were awarded emergency grant amounts based on 1) Pell eligibility and 2) enrollment status:

Eligible students were awarded a grant entitled CARES Act Fund on Monday, May 4, 2020 and notified by email the same day. To receive the funds, eligible students must access their Self-Service Carolina (SSC) account and manually accept the award. 

The deadline for students to accept the award was May 31, 2020.

The message attached to the CARES Act Fund reads as follows:

CARES emergency grant funds are available to eligible students as a result of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.  By accepting the CARES Act Fund, you acknowledge that you have incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.

After acceptance of the award, the funds will be disbursed to the student’s account, and a refund will be issued regardless of an outstanding balance remaining on the account.

A portion of the allocation has been set aside to award emergency grants to students who have not already completed a 2019-2020 FAFSA. 

In order to receive funds from the CARES Act, students must have done so before June 15, 2020, and be deemed Title IV eligible according to federal regulations.

In early September 2020, any CARES funding that had been declined or not accepted by awardees in the initial awarding process was reallocated to students who accepted a CARES award and was eligible for a 2019-2020 Federal Pell Grant at the time of the initial award.  This additional award was $247 per recipient. The grants must be used for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care). The grants may not fully cover a student's expenses due to the disruption.

CARES Act Final Report (12-31-2020)