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Syracuse University students can apply to receive emergency funding as part of a federal stimulus package the university received due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Students can receive grants for a variety of coronavirus-related expenses, including emergency travel costs, food insecurity and medical expenses, the university announced Friday on its website. Students who are United States citizens or permanent residents and have submitted a valid FAFSA form can fill out an application requesting funds. 

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, passed last month, earmarked $12.5 billion for the federal government to disperse among more than 5,000 colleges and universities using a formula based on student enrollment. SU will receive over $9.9 million from the act. 

Under the act, SU must reserve at least half of the money it receives for emergency grants to help cover student expenses related to “the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.” 

The coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has infected 330,407 people in New York state and killed 21,405. SU suspended on-campus classes March 16 and transitioned to virtual learning for the final weeks of the spring semester to curb the virus’s spread.

SU may request additional documentation, such as copies of leases and mortgages or bank statements, before distributing the grants, the university said. 

Applicants should set up direct deposit on MySlice, SU said. Students receiving grants without direct deposit information will have paper checks mailed weekly to their listed address. 

Grants will be awarded to students “for the duration that resources are available,” SU said. Students who need financial assistance but don’t meet the requirements for CARES Act funding should still submit the application to request additional funding, the university said. 

Students can also contact their financial aid counselor to discuss funding needs for the 2020-21 academic year, SU said. Counselors can begin the financial aid appeal and professional judgment process for students if necessary. 

University officials announced April 20 that SU had lost an estimated $35 million as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a figure that includes lost revenue and unplanned expenses related to the outbreak. 

The university will enact several measures to limit the virus’s financial impact on the 2020-21 academic year, including freezing salaries and hiring for faculty and staff and reducing university-wide costs. SU plans to resume on-campus instruction in the fall as long as health officials deem it safe to do so.

Published on May 8, 2020 at 6:34 pm

Contact Michael: msessa@syr.edu | @MichaelSessa3