To the George Washington University Community:
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is a program authorized by the American Rescue Plan approved by Congress in spring 2021 that provides support to institutions of higher education to ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through this Act, the federal government has allocated GW and other universities additional funding to address the ongoing financial impact of the pandemic. We are writing today to share more information about distribution of the funding, which includes student and institutional aid received.
Student Aid
GW has received $12,590,686 to provide eligible students a one-time emergency aid grant through the HEERF III program.
Unlike the previous two government acts that provided emergency funding in response to the ongoing pandemic, for this round of emergency funding any student who is currently enrolled at the George Washington University as of Sept. 30, 2021 or was enrolled at any time on or after March 13, 2020, the date of declaration of the national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease, is eligible to apply for a one-time, non-taxable monetary grant from the HEERF III program.
In order to distribute this federal funding, the George Washington University will utilize an application and certification form to identify students who experienced financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and who may have exceptional financial need. Consistent with the criteria outlined within the federal legislation, we will prioritize HEERF grants for undergraduate students who are receiving or have received a Pell Grant.
GW will directly contact via email the more than 48,000 eligible students currently enrolled at the George Washington University in fall 2021 or enrolled at any time on or after March 13, 2020, by Friday, Oct. 8. The notification will indicate they are eligible to apply for this one-time grant which may be used for any component of a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arose due to the coronavirus. Eligible individuals will have until Friday, Nov. 5 at 5 p.m. EDT to submit their application. Grants will be disbursed starting the week of Nov. 8.
For more information on these grants, please refer to GW’s HEERF website.
Institutional Aid
The university also received approximately $12.4 million to address institutional costs.
Given our foremost priority to protect the health and safety of our community, institutional aid was used to help offset the significant financial impact associated with the pandemic and our efforts to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus on campus.
As we manage the many impacts of the pandemic, we remain committed to safety, the care of our community, and fulfilling our core academic mission. These priorities have driven, and will continue to drive, every decision we make.
Stay safe and stay well.
Sincerely,
Christopher Alan Bracey
Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Law
Mark Diaz
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
