Students must have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and qualified for federal student aid to be considered for CARES Act Grant funding. Automatic CARES Act Grants were made to over six thousand IUPUI undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who completed a FAFSA, received federal aid, were enrolled as of April 15, 2020, met specific low-income criteria, and were not scheduled to graduate in May 2020. IUPUI also offered an application process for HEERF funding consideration for those that did not receive automatic CARES Act Grant funding.

Additional information about the selection and awarding process for CARES Act funding can be found at this page.

Recipients were notified by email of CARES Act Grant awards. Students can also view awards in “View/Pay Bursar Bill” in One.IU. Awards will appear on bursar accounts as either a CARES Act Grant or a CARES Act Emergency Relief Grant. Students who were awarded CARES Act funding received the funds via direct deposit or paper check.

CARES Act Grant are directed to be used for student expenses related to the pandemic and the disruption of in-person college attendance. Examples of expenses include food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and childcare expenses. Like other grants, you will not have to pay the CARES Act Grant back if you qualify for it.

The U.S. Department of Education has determined that DACA, undocumented, International, and students in only online/distance education classes prior to March 23, 2020 do NOT qualify for HEERF funding. IUPUI offers other emergency grant and loan programs for these populations. These students should still apply for emergency funding consideration on the Student Central Financial Challenges website.

The application requires the student to submit name, university ID number, and a short narrative describing the emergency funding needs. The requestor can upload information as appropriate and may be asked to submit additional documentation. All correspondence will occur using the student’s IUPUI email address.

Confidential requests are reviewed on case-by-case basis by a team of highly trained financial aid administrators. Requests are referred to campus partners as appropriate. Note the application was recently modified for all groups of IUPUI students to submit a request for financial crisis funding, including international students, DACA students, and graduate/professional students.

In the majority of requests reviewed, students are helped to determine if they are eligible for additional federal aid eligibility before they are considered for limited emergency aid funds. But for those that have exhausted federal and state aid eligibility and have unmet financial need, an emergency aid funding option is likely to be awarded.

Undergraduate students should receive an email response with aid options within 3-5 business days. Referrals to campus partners for international students, undocumented students, DACA students, or graduate/professional students may take a bit longer. Monitor your email regularly for updates or requests for additional information.

Students who have set up direct deposit refunds with the Bursar will receive funds in a matter of days after awards are made; if there is no direct deposit information on file, the Bursar mails refund checks on a weekly basis.

Eligibility is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For students that have maximized federal and state aid eligibility, awarding practices include the IUPUI Emergency Assistance Grant of up to $2,000 per year, the Jaguar Persistence Grant of up to $2,000 per year, or an IU Miller Loan of up to $4,000 per year for those close to graduation.