CARES Act Funding at USF

The CARES Act is federal legislation, which provides a variety of financial support to individuals and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. One part of this federal program allocates money to The University of Sioux Falls, and a portion of that allocation can be awarded to students who are experiencing financial expenses due to the coronavirus. 

If a student has filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then the student has demonstrated eligibility to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA. Students who have not filed a FAFSA should complete one now in order to be considered for emergency grant funds. International, DACA and students enrolled in programs fully online are not eligible for funding. 

Funds can be used for food, housing, course materials, technology, transportation, child care and health care expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. USF cannot apply grant funds to unpaid tuition and fees or room and board expenses. 

We understand that many students’ needs extend beyond university related expenses during this difficult and unprecedented time. Please review the additional local community resources available below and feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions.

• Food/Basic Needs Resources 
• Department of Labor and Regulation (Reemployment assistance)
• One Sioux Falls Fund (Income assistance)
• Virtual Counseling Resources
• Department of Health Information

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report as of June 30, 2021
Final Report

• The University of Sioux Falls signed the Department of Education’s Certification and Agreement form and intends to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
• USF received access to $518,087 for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
• As of June 30, 2021 USF has distributed $518,087 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
• USF has an estimated 1784 students eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
• As of June 30, 2021, 1133 USF students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
• In response to this legislation, USF leadership created a committee to review applications from students and award grant funds. The committee’s first meeting was April 27, 2020. Applications are reviewed for their eligibility and validity on a case-by-case basis. Students must meet the following eligibility requirements:
  • Be currently enrolled at USF, either full-time or part-time.
  • Have a current FAFSA on file (2019-2020 for spring applications, 2020-2021 for summer/fall applications.)
  • Meet the qualifications to be eligible for Title IV aid.
  • Have a qualifying expense due to either campus closure or moving to online courses.
• For the fall 2020 semester, we will provide CARES grant funding to students enrolled as of August 7, 2020, to help with the purchase of technology-related expenses for the fall term. Students enrolled in 6 - 11 credits will receive $125 and students enrolled in 12+ credits will receive $250. Students must be Title IV eligible and degree-seeking in a traditional undergraduate program to qualify. Students that are not eligible on August 7 will have a chance to complete necessary steps and qualify by September 30, 2020, for a fall disbursement. We also provided meals for eligible students in quarantine. For the interim/spring 2021 term we accepted applications for funding for technology needs. We also provided meals for eligible students in quarantine.
• No more than $2,000 will be awarded in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to a student at one time. A student may reapply every 30 days. A student can receive a maximum of $6,000.
• The following guidance, concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grant for students, is provided online and on the USF application: Emergency Financial Aid Grant funds are intended to cover a student's expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). These specific grant funds are not intended to replace lost wages. Expenses may include, but are not limited to, food, housing, course materials, health care, child care, technology-related expenses, and transportation. Documentation to support your application may be requested by the review committee. Examples may include additional housing or food costs due to moving off-campus, technology related expenses due to switching to online classes, or having to purchase textbooks or supplies due to no longer having access to campus. The USF CARES Emergency Funding section of our Coronavirus webpage provides supplemental information.

View Previous Student CARES Act Disclosure Reports

View Institutional CARES Act Disclosure Report