COVID-19 Relief Funds
COVID-19 Relief Funds
If you have been impacted by COVID-19, you may be eligible for federal grants to help offset the cost for you to attend Middle Georgia. The grants have different criteria, therefore, you need to review the criteria for each grant and apply for all grants that you may be eligible to receive. Each section will have a link to the application following the requirements.
The application will ask you in which of the following ways you were impacted by COVID-19.
- Personally, lost employment or reduced income
- Immediate family members lost employment or reduced income
- Incurred medical expenses
- Incurred other pandemic related expenses
- Other circumstances (please explain)
These funds may be in addition to any financial aid you may receive and you are not required to pay the grants back. Please read the requirements carefully and apply.
Note: Unlike HEERF II funding, HEERF III funding is available to a wider group of students.
Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 Grants
As long as funding remains available, 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 have exceptional need due to COVID-19 can apply for additional funding through the GEER, HEERF II or HEERF III grants. Students may apply for all three grant opportunities.
HEER I/CARES Act (2020)
The below information refers to the HEER I Fund, part of the 2020 CARES Act. For information on the current COVID-19 relief funds available, please see top of this page.
Federal HEER I Fund/CARES Act Emergency Grants
The Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provided economic relief for college students who qualified according to the guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. MGA received $2.9 million in funds through the Higher Education Emergency Relief I Fund (HEER I Fund). These funds supported:
- Immediate grants were automatically awarded to eligible students who were enrolled in at least one face-to-face class as of March 13, 2020 for the Spring 2020 semester – The funds were for expenses related to educational disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic (approximately 80% of funds), and
- Emergency grants were made available via an application process for students who were enrolled in at least one face-to-face class as of March 13, 2020 and had not filed a FAFSA with the federal government and students who already received funding, were enrolled in the Summer semester 2020 and had emergency needs. (approximately 20% of funds).
Automatic Grants
Who is eligible for HEER I Fund/CARES Act automatic grants?
The US Department of Education has established eligibility guidelines for these funds. Title IV eligible students (based on completed 2019-2020 FAFSA) enrolled in at least one face-to-face spring class and who transitioned to online classes after March 13, 2020 will see grants automatically awarded.
Eligibility requirements:
- Student must have been enrolled in at least one face-to-face class on March 13, 2020
- Eligible students must be Title IV eligible (Eligibility is not a function of income. Most students who submit a FAFSA will be eligible). MGA will determine Title IV eligibility via a student’s 2019-2020 FAFSA report.
- Dual-enrolled students are not Title IV eligible, thus they will not be eligible for HEER I Fund/CARES Act grants.
How much will eligible students receive as part of the Spring Semester automatic grants?
A points system was used to allocate Spring Semester funds and attempts to prioritize students with demonstrated need, such as Pell recipients, while also distributing the funds as widely and quickly as possible. The points system also takes into consideration those most impacted by the move to online courses. Points are awarded to students as follows:
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Spring 2020 Points System:
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Points
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Enrolled in all Face to Face classes 3/13/20
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2
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Transitioned to new learning environment
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OR
Enrolled in F2F & online 3/13
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1
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Partially transitioned to a new learning environment
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Living on Campus
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1
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Living situation was disrupted
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Pell recipient
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2
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Had demonstrated financial need prior to disruption
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5 Total Points Available
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Total Points Available to Students is 5
Awards under the points system are rounded for ease of distribution, with each point being worth approximately $200 .
Grants will be awarded by the end of the second week in May.
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Points Allocation
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1
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$ 200.00
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2
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$ 400.00
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3
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$ 600.00
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4
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$ 800.00
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5
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$ 1,000.00
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I did not submit a 2019-2020 FAFSA prior to March 13 - can I still receive CARES Act funds?
Students who do not have a 2019-2020 FAFSA on file will not receive the automatic grant but are eligible to apply for the HEER I Fund/CARES Act Emergency Grants (see below). Eligible Spring Semester students who did not have a FAFSA on file as of March 13, 2020 should:
- Submit a 2019-2020 FAFSA prior to June 30, 2020 and,
- Submit an MGA CARES Act Grant Application
- The application system opened on May 15, 2020 for grants and will close on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
Eligible students will be awarded points as noted above (see: How much will eligible students receive as part of the Spring Semester automatic grants?) and funds will be distributed on a first-come-first served basis. Once all funds have been distributed, there will be no additional funds available.
Emergency Grants
Who is eligible for HEER 1 Fund/CARES ACT emergency grants?
The US Department of Education has established eligibility guidelines for these funds . Title IV eligible students (based on completed 2019-2020 FAFSA) enrolled in spring classes who transitioned to online after March 13, 2020 will be eligible to apply.
Eligibility requirements:
- Student must have been enrolled in at least one face-to-face Spring semester class on March 13, 2020
- Eligible students must be Title IV eligible (Eligibility is not a function of income. Most students who submit a 2019-2020 FAFSA will be eligible.) The only way for MGA to determine a students's eligibility for Title IV eligibility is by students completing the 2019-2020 FAFSA.
- Dual-enrolled students are not Title IV eligible, thus not eligible for CARES Act grants.
How much will eligible students receive as part of an emergency grant?
Funds will be allocated based on the student’s demonstrated need. Applications will be reviewed and funds distributed on a first-come-first-served basis until funds are exhausted. Any requests not awarded will have no recourse for additional funding.
If any funds remain after awarding all requests submitted as of the deadline, MGA will distribute the remaining funds on August 1, 2020 among those who submitted applications for emergency grants.
HEERF II/CRRSA ACT (2021)
COVID-19 Relief Application for Financial Assistance - HEERF II
Middle Georgia State University (MGA) has been provided student aid funding from The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) and the Strengthening Institutional Program Fund (SIP) authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). This funding will be used, according to federal guidelines, to assist students impacted by COVID-19.
You, as a student, may complete the application below and apply for a grant to help pay for your tuition and fees. In addition, if you live on campus, you may also apply for an additional grant to help cover a portion of the cost of your residence hall.
Please carefully read the following information and apply for the grant(s) if you are eligible.
- Students must complete the application and indicate the grant or grants for which they are applying to receive.
- Students must have suffered a financial impact due to COVID-19 pandemic as determined by the institution.
- Students with exceptional need, as evidenced by Pell Grant eligibility, will receive priority over other applicants each time a group of applications are reviewed.
- Students cannot apply to use funds to pay for a previous term balance.
- The awards will be for the summer and/or the fall Semester 2021.
- Students must be enrolled at the time of the grant disbursement.
- Funds will be disbursed through MGA’s BankMobile disbursement system or, with the student’s permission, applied directly to their account.
- Grant funds will not be disbursed to dual enrolled, non-citizens, transient or non-degree seeking students.
The Award Amounts
The two awards available are:
- Up to $500 to help offset tuition and fees at MGA
- Up to $350 to help offset the cost of living in on-campus housing at MGA.
This emergency financial assistance is for students encountering unforeseen circumstances due to COVID-19 that may prevent them from continuing their education at MGA. Circumstances that may lead a student to apply for these funds can vary widely. These funds are intended to assist students, who are experiencing financial hardships, in completing their education.
Reporting
USDOE OPE Required Reporting for HEER I, II, & III Funds
2020
Section 18004(a)(1) Student Portion
Section 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion and Section 18004(a)(2) Portion
2021
Student Portion
Institutional Portion
2022
Student Portion
Institutional Portion
Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund
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. Remaining funds are now available for Spring 2022, Summer 2022 and Fall 2022 semesters.
- Institutions will require the completion of the application 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.
- 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
- Associate Degree Seeking Students
Award Guidelines
Financial awards made to the student must meet these criteria:
- Not to exceed $2,500 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 $2,500 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.
- 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.
