STUDENT EMERGENCY FUNDING: QUESTIONS/ ANSWERS
August 2021 - American Rescue Plan (HEERF III)
San Diego State expects to release the third round of emergency grants to eligible students as early as August 2021 (prior to the start of the fall semester). Students are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit, E-Refund through Student Account Services to expedite the receipt of funding. For more information on how to sign up for E-Refund, go to www.sdsu.edu/SAS
Q: Are emergency financial aid grants to students under the HEERF program considered taxable income?
February 2021 – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II)
On December 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) (P.L. 116-260). This new law gives the U.S. Department of Education (Department) approximately $22.7 billion in additional funding to distribute to institutions of higher education in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus through the HEERF. SDSU’s total allocation is $45,914,127. The CRRSAA mandates that at least $14,697,467 of these funds be spent on direct student aid (this is the amount of student awards mandated under the original CARES Act.)
A total of 34,023 students were enrolled for spring 2021. Of those, 23,282 are eligible for new CARES funding (have a 2020-21 FAFSA and are U.S citizens or eligible non-citizens).
March 2020- Federal CARES Act Emergency Student Funding
Under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), SDSU was given over $14 million in emergency aid earmarked to assist students whose lives have been disrupted due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In Spring 2020 there were a total of 32,214 students enrolled. Of those, 22,268 were eligible for CARES funding (had a 2019-20 FAFSA and were U.S citizens or eligible non-citizens).
The CARES Act did not provide emergency funds for international students, international exchange participants, or those who students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. SDSU provided financial support to these students through the use of $800,000 from other university funds that are not federal dollars.
Change in Financial Circumstances
Q: My financial situation has drastically changed. Can you re-evaluate my financial aid eligibility?
Document Delivery to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
A: Please do not send documents via fax or email. Your personal information is at risk. Instead, upload documents using the secure document upload feature on AidLink. Please upload PDF documents if possible. You can use free apps such as CamScanner or Scannable to scan documents using your smartphone. Alternatively, you may also send documents by mail (or to our office drop box) Be sure to provide the student's Red ID on all documents.
San Diego State University
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
5500 Campanile Drive
San Diego, CA 92182-7436
Loans
A: According to the U.S. Department of Education, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) became law, providing relief on ED-owned federal student loans: suspension of loan payments, stopped collections on defaulted loans, and a 0% interest rate as temporary relief. As of January 20, 2021, 0% student loan interest rate and suspension of payments on federal student loans through the Department of Education have been extended through at least September 30, 2021. Students can still make payments (with their loan servicer) if they choose.
Please refer to StudentAid.gov/coronavirus for the latest updates.
A: To provide relief to student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 emergency, federal student loan borrowers were automatically placed in an administrative forbearance, which allows you to temporarily stop making your monthly loan payments. This was active for loans as of March 13, 2020 through at least September 30, 2021 (latest extension). This may not be applicable for federal loans that were delinquent or in default prior to March 13, 2020. For information on the status of a delinquent or defaulted federal loan, please contact your loan servicer.
If you do not know who your servicer is or how to contact them, visit the Student Aid website or call at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243; TTY for the deaf or hearing-impaired 1-800-730-8913) for assistance.
Verification Documents
A: You may obtain your Tax Return Transcript online at www.irs.gov If you are unable to obtain them using the on-line tool, then you must download Form 4506-T from the IRS website. This is a form you mail in to the IRS to request your Tax Return Transcript or Verification of Nonfiling Letter to be mailed to you.
Additional Questions
A: Visit the SDSU Student Financial Center. We can help you with questions related to financial aid, scholarships and student accounts. The center is open M-F 9:00 to 5:00 PST. The link is available at SDSU.edu/financial aid.