The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund is a Federal grant program by which the US Department of Education awards grants to Governors in order to provide education related entities with emergency assistance because of COVID-19. Governor Kemp has designated $5 million from the grant awarded to Georgia to aid students within the University System of Georgia who are struggling to pay bills for tuition and fees due to impacts related to COVID-19.

The Governor’s allocation of funds has been determined and Middle Georgia State University received $272,000. The funds were allocated to institutions based on the institutions’ percentage or share of the total number of Pell-eligible students enrolled in each USG institution. Middle Georgia will disburse the funds beginning with the students enrolled in the Spring 2021 Semester for second session. Guidelines were provided to each USG institution and must be followed when determining a students’ eligibility to receive funds and for disbursing funds to students.

• The funds may be awarded to assist students who have been financially impacted by COVID-19, are having trouble paying tuition and fees, and are at risk of being dropped from enrollment due to non-payment.
• Funds are to be made available for the Spring 2021 semester to currently enrolled and degree-seeking undergraduate students. Any portion of funding not used in Spring 2021 may be awarded to similarly situated students needing aid in Summer 2021, or potentially in Fall 2021 should funds remain available.
• Institutions will require the completion of the application (hyperlink) for each grant request in order to assess student need and eligibility.
• All applications will be reviewed by the MGA GEER team (staff members from Finance and Operation and Enrollment Management) to determine the student’s eligibility and funding priority prior to making grant funds available. Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received.
• The use of awarded funds is to be limited to the direct payment of tuition and fee expenses.

Student Eligibility

Students receiving GEER funding awards must meet these criteria:

• Enrolled in an undergraduate program leading to a degree.
• In good academic standing, and making progress toward degree attainment, as defined by meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) guidelines for Federal financial aid.
• Have suffered a financial impact due to COVID-19 pandemic as determined by the institution.
• Have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and been determined eligible for Title IV federal student assistance.
• Have accepted all Federal Title IV federal student assistance for which they are eligible (excluding PLUS loans but including subsidized and unsubsidized loans offered).
• Student must have an outstanding balance of direct charges to the institution.
• Priority will be given to Pell eligible students. If funds remain after awarding all Pell-eligible applicants that qualify, funds may be used to assist other students that have direct charges owed to the institution and unmet need based on the standard financial aid formula (COA- EFC-all other aid = unmet need)
• Institutions should ensure awards will satisfy student obligations.
• Students that meet the eligibility criteria will be prioritized based on the following categories.
  • Bachelor Degree Seeking Students
    • Graduating Seniors - Submit your graduation application
    • Seniors
    • Juniors
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen
  • Associate Degree Seeking Students
    • Graduating Sophomores and Above - Submit your graduation application
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen

Award Guidelines

Financial awards made to the student must meet these criteria:

• Not to exceed $1,000 per student.
• Not to exceed the student’s total balance due the institution, after all other aid, including federal loans, has been applied, and including any 3 ^rd party guarantees which may be pending but not yet received.
• GEER awards may not be directly refunded to the student as surplus financial aid, nor can these awards cause other funds from other sources to be refunded directly to the student as surplus financial aid.

Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) Scholarship Application

This award of up to $1,000 provides one-time emergency financial assistance to students encountering unforeseen circumstances due to COVID-19 that may prevent them from continuing their education at Middle Georgia State University. Circumstances that may lead a student to apply for these funds can vary widely. These funds are intended to assist students with financial hardships to complete their education.

How to Apply

Students are encouraged to apply for this funding if the need arises and should complete the application as soon as possible. Students must complete an application that requests supporting documentation of the financial or personal circumstances prompting the application. Upon review of the student's application and situation, the MGA GEER Team determine the funding amount. These funds will then be applied to the student’s outstanding balance.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, an applicant must meet the following criteria:

• Be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program leading to a degree.
• Be in good academic standing, and making progress toward degree attainment, as defined by meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) guidelines for Federal financial aid.
• Have suffered a financial impact due to COVID-19 pandemic as determined by the institution.
• Have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and been determined eligible for Title IV federal student assistance.
• Have accepted all Federal Title IV Federal student assistance for which they are eligible (excluding PLUS loans but including subsidized and unsubsidized loans offered).
• Student must have an outstanding balance of direct charges to the institution.
• Institutions should ensure awards will satisfy student obligations.
• Priority will be given to Pell-eligible students. If funds remain after awarding all Pell-eligible applicants that qualify, funds may be used to assist other students that have direct charges owed to the institution and unmet need based on the standard financial aid formula (COA- EFC-all other aid = unmet need)
• Students that meet the eligibility criteria will be prioritized based on the following categories.
  • Bachelor Degree Seeking Students
    • Graduating Seniors –Submit your graduation application (hyperlink)
    • Seniors
    • Juniors
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen
  • Associate Degree Seeking Students
    • Graduating Sophomores and Above Submit graduation application (hyperlink)
    • Sophomores
    • Freshmen

Award decisions will be based on the established criteria outlined in the application. Award amounts will be determined based on the request, proof of need, and available funds. 

Awards will be applied to the student’s account and may not be directly refunded to the student as surplus financial aid, nor can these awards cause other funds from other sources to be refunded directly to the student as surplus financial aid.

International students are ineligible for state and federal financial aid, so they are not required to complete this process and are not eligible for the funding.

Middle Georgia State University (MGA) was awarded $9,969,005 in student aid funding authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (called HEERF III). This funding will be used according to federal guidelines to assist students impacted by COVID-19.

Grant distribution will be prioritized for students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants or are individuals with extraordinary financial circumstances. The following individuals will be eligible for the funding:

• Any individual who is or was enrolled at Middle Georgia State University on or after March 13, 2020, the date of declaration of the national emergency due to the coronavirus. Students are no longer required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and no longer required to be eligible for Title IV student financial aid in order to receive this grant.
• Students taking classes fully at a distance, on campus or a combination are included.

Distribution of Grants

HEERF III student aid grants will be distributed Fall Semester 2021 and Spring Semester 2022. There will be two types of grants for both semesters: automatic and application due to extenuating circumstances. The distribution process will be the same for both semesters.

1. Automatic
   • Grants will be automatically disbursed to currently enrolled eligible students after drop/add is complete for each semester. Pell grant recipients will receive distributions of $600 and non-Pell grant recipients will receive distributions of $400.
   • Students who give express written permission to apply the grant directly to their account balance will have the amount applied to their balance. All other students will receive the disbursement through BankMobile.
   • Based on projected Pell grant recipients and overall enrollment, we estimate 3,650 Pell students will receive $2,190,000 and 5,100 non-Pell students will receive $2,040,000. Spring semester, we estimate 3,200 Pell students will receive $1,920,000 and 4,660 non-Pell students will receive $1,864,000.
2. Application for Additional Funding due to Extenuating Circumstances
   • Individuals who were enrolled on or after March 13, 2020 and who have exceptional need due to COVID-19 can submit an application through the MGA Foundation, Inc Scholarship portal for additional funding. These individuals may or may not be enrolled at the time of application
   • The application should include details to support exceptional need.
   • Individuals may be granted up to $1,000 each depending on their demonstrated need.
   • Applications will be accepted, reviewed and processed by a committee of MGA representatives, as long as funding is available.

Grants will not be (1) a condition of continued or future enrollment, (2) used to satisfy a student’s outstanding account balance unless the student has provided MGA with written or electronic affirmative consent, or (3) used to obtain consent to apply to the account balance as a condition of receiving the grant. Students have the explicit choice on whether the grant is applied to their outstanding balance or disbursed to directly through BankMobile.

Please complete the application here.