Wright State distributes $6.7 million in federal funds to help eligible students affected by coronavirus pandemic

Wright State University is once again assisting students impacted by the coronavirus pandemic by distributing another round of mass federal grants.

Wright State will distribute a total of $6,722,512 in emergency financial aid grants to thousands of students who are enrolled in Spring Semester classes.

This week, Wright State issued a total of $6,380,125 in mass emergency relief grants directly to 4,921 undergraduate and graduate students and students enrolled in the Boonshoft School of Medicine and the School of Professional Psychology.

The university allocated those funds based on each student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), prioritizing students with the greatest financial needs, and credit hours during the Spring Semester.

Wright State automatically awarded the funds to eligible students. Students can view their grant awards on their student accounts.

The remaining $324,387 in emergency funds have been set aside for students who did not file a FAFSA. Those students may apply for emergency grants of up to $500 by completing an online application.

More information is available on Wright State’s COVID-19 emergency financial aid website.

The federal funds are available to help students with emergency expenses that arise because of the coronavirus pandemic, including for tuition, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare.

“We believe these funds will provide some financial relief to a broad range of our students who have experienced hardship because of COVID-19,” said Kim Everhart, director of financial aid.

The federal funds came from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) III as part of the American Rescue Plan, which President Biden signed into law in 2021. HEERF III provides funds to institutions of higher education to award emergency financial aid grants to students, many of whom continue to face financial challenges because of the pandemic.

Under the American Rescue Plan, Wright State students who are eligible for funds include degree- and non-degree-seeking students, DACA students, refugees, asylum seekers and international students.

HEERF III is the third round of federal emergency funding that Wright State has received to help students with costs associated with the pandemic.

As of Jan. 10, 2022, the university has distributed $17,927,807 in federal emergency relief funds to 11,808 students.

As part of the American Rescue Plan, Wright State received an additional $14.2 million in federal funding to help defray university expenses associated with the coronavirus.