Pictured above: USF will receive $102 million from the U.S Department of Education to help struggling students and fund institutional purposes.
Annalise Anderson | The Crow’s Nest
By Isaiah Sterling
USF will receive its third and largest COVID-19 relief grant of $102 million from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, according to ARP allotment information.
The university’s grant amount is out of $36 billion made available to postsecondary institutions on May 11 as part of the ARP’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III).
Previously, ED awarded USF its first grant of $34 million (HEERF I) in April 2020 and its second grant of $58.2 million in March (HEERF II).
USF Director of Media Relations Adam Freeman said university leaders are going through guidance from ED to establish a plan for distributing the funds.
Of the $102 million received, USF is required to use a minimum of $52 million towards direct payments to students who are struggling financially and $50 million for other institutional purposes.
Freeman said the timeline for direct payments and their amounts will be communicated at a future date, with awards likely beginning late this summer and at the start of the fall 2021 semester.
He said the amount of financial aid available to students will be based on federal criteria, such as the Federal Application for Student Aid, and not on a student’s specific USF campus.
USF does not have an exact plan for the remaining $50 million allotted for institutional purposes.
“USF will wait for the finalization of the state budget for next year before deciding how the remaining $50 million will be invested across the university,” Freeman said.
President Steve Currall said USF is grateful for the emergency funding released under the American Rescue Plan and plans to use the funding as a direct benefit to students who have been impacted financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A top priority for USF throughout the pandemic has been the continuity of academic instruction and critical services to support the success of our students. We are grateful to receive this additional support, especially through funding to offset the financial strain on our students,” Currall said.
