COVID Relief Aid

Eligibility requirements:

• Students must be enrolled during the Spring 2021 semester.
• Students must be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen per the federal financial aid guidelines.
• Current faculty and staff are not eligible for these funds.

If you believe you qualify, please submit the COVID Relief Aid Application located in your SOAR Account.

More information about the CRRSAA and eligibility can be found here.

COVID Relief Aid Application Steps

1. Log into SOAR.
2. Click on the COVID Relief Aid Tile located on the Student Homepage.
3. Complete all application questions – including if you authorize the University to apply the funds to your student account or if you wish to recieve the funds directly, if applicable.
4. Click “Submit”.

Students receiving COVID Relief aid will be offered two possible choices in which to have their funds distributed to them.

1. Students can authorize the university to apply the COVID Relief Aid to their student account to offset any prior term institutional charges incurred on or after December 27th, and/or any current institutional charges.  Any excess funds remaining after applying to eligible charges will be distributed to the student.
2. Students can choose to have the COVID Relief Aid distributed directly to them.

If you are eligible and choose to receive the funds directly, or if you have an excess of funds after they have been applied to your student account, a refund will be processed through BankMobile.  If you have not chosen a refund preference with BankMobile, please do so by clicking on the Student Refunds tile in your SOAR Account.  If you need assistance, the BankMobile Customer Service number is 877.327.9515

 

1. Who may be eligible for the COVID Relief Aid?

• Students enrolled during the Spring 2021 semester.
• U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen per the federal financial aid guidelines.
• Current faculty and staff are not eligible for these funds.

2. Who determines my eligibility?

The Office of Financial Aid will take information acquired from the FAFSA, COVID Relief Aid Application, and other entities on campus to determine your eligibility for the COVID Relief Aid grant funds.

3. Am I eligible if I am a new student starting in the Summer 2021 or Fall 2021 semester?

No. Students must be enrolled during the Spring 2021 semester to be eligible.

4. Is the 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 FAFSA required to determine my eligibility?

No. However, FAFSA data will be used to help determine citizenship and award offer amounts.

5. How and when will I know any final decisions made for the disbursement of funds?

Once you submit the COVID Relief Aid Application in SOAR and meet all eligibility requirements, you will receive an award expeditiously after eligibility is determined.

6.  How much will I be eligible to receive?

The amount per student will vary based off student responses and remaining funds.

The DOE requested that we give priority to our neediest students; therefore, we are awarding on a FAFSA EFC range grid.  Zero Pell EFC (full Pell) will receive $750, 1 to 5,711 Pell EFC range receives $650, EFC greater than 5711 receives $400, and students with no FAFSA and are US citizens will receive $400.

FAFSA EFC Range	COVID Relief Aid Award
0	$750
1 - 5,711	$650
5,712 and above	$400
No FAFSA on File	$400

 

7. I'm a fully online student at USM. Am I eligible for the COVID Relief Aid?

Yes. As long as all other eligibility requirements are met.

8. How do I apply for the COVID Relief Aid?

Students can navigate to the COVID Relief Aid tile on their Student Homepage in SOAR. Applications must be submitted by March 15, 2021 for priority consideration.

9. How will I receive the funds?

1. Student can authorize the university to apply the COVID Relief Aid to their student account to offset any prior term institutional charges incurred on or after December 27th, and/or any current institutional charges.  Any excess funds remaining after applying to eligible charges will be distributed to the student.
2. Student can choose to have the COVID Relief Aid distributed directly to them.

Should you have eligibility for the COVID Relief Aid, funds will be sent through BankMobile.  If you have not designated your refund preference, you can do so online in your SOAR account.  If you need assistance, they can be reached at 877.327.9515.

10. I have not been eligible for financial aid (federal loans or grants) during the regular fall or spring semesters. Will I be eligible for the COVID Relief Aid?

Title IV Aid eligibility is not a requirement to receive funding. Just because a student is not eligible for federal loans or grants, does not necessarily mean they are not eligible for the COVID Relief Aid.  The Office of Financial Aid will determine if you are eligible.

11. I am an international on an F1 visa. Am I eligible to apply for the COVID Relief Aid?

No. Student’s on a F1 visa are not eligible. Students must be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen to be eligible for the COVID Relief Aid.

12. Do I have to repay this award after I am no longer in school?

The COVID Relief Aid is not a loan. It is gift-aid from the federal government that is not required to be repaid.

The Office of Financial Aid determined student eligibility based on enrollment status for the Spring 2021 term. These are the students who were communicated to regarding the availability of funds and how to apply. 

The online application consisted of two questions: 

1.  I certify that I have experienced financial need due to the on-going pandemic.

2.  I Authorize the University of Southern Miss to apply my CRRSAA financial aid grant to my student account to offset any prior or current institutional charges, which have occurred on or after December 27th, 2020

As applications were received, the Office of Financial Aid awarded students a set amount, as determined by their FAFSA EFC, giving larger award amounts to Pell Grant EFC ranges to give priority to the neediest students as designated by the Department of Education. Award amounts were as follows...

 

Awarding continued twice a week until the deadline to apply, March 15th, 2021, had passed. The remaining allocation was then distributed to students with the most need. 

Ending award amounts and how many students received that award amount are listed below.