Stimulus Relief Funds

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 19, 2021) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto sent an email to the campus community yesterday with an update on the latest round of federal funds to assist eligible students during the pandemic.  Please see the message below.

Dear Campus Community, 

Recently, we began notifying students who may be eligible for emergency funding assistance from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II), as authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), 2021. 

As we did in the spring under the provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), we are working in earnest to ensure we can provide critical relief to our students who need it most.  

UK is eligible for approximately $8.9 million for students under the CRRSAA guidelines. Within the last few days, we received access to those funds. 

To that end, we are utilizing a thoughtful, methodical approach to contacting and providing this assistance to students. At the same time, we recognize that we need to move quickly, as students and families continue to navigate the financial distress caused by this pandemic. We continue to use methodology that helped us develop a nationally recognized program to address unmet financial need, the UK LEADS program. With that effort as a guide, we are prioritizing students who are currently enrolled in the spring and who are most at risk for financial issues.   

More than 6,000 students have been identified as eligible and will be offered the CRRSAA Grant by February 19, 2021. Students who have been offered the CRRSAA Grant will be contacted by email and will be directed to log in to their myUK account to complete a questionnaire related to CRRSAA funding. Qualified students who have been informed that they will be receiving a CRRSAA Grant must choose how they want to receive their funds. In addition, a portion of CRRSAA funds has been held back to assist other students who were not selected to receive CRRSAA funds through the pre-selection process but who have experienced financial hardship due to disruptions caused by the pandemic. Students enrolled during 2021 Spring will be provided the opportunity to apply for a CRRSAA Grant. To be considered, the student must have a 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file and complete the CRRSAA Grant Request Form by March 1, 2021. More information is available here.  

Students and families may contact the Office of Student Financial Aid with any additional questions or email OSFAS@uky.edu. Learn more about this effort. 

Congressional leaders, such as Senator Mitch McConnell and other members of the Kentucky delegation, were instrumental by including this crucial funding for our students and families in this legislation. Additionally, student leaders as well as Student Government Association President Courtney Wheeler were involved in this process and provided important leadership and feedback. We are deeply grateful for the compassion and resolve that permeates this campus.  

We continue to support a Basic Needs Fund, which provides additional relief to members of our community who need financial assistance. Members of our community continue to contribute to this fund—another compelling example of the heart and soul of this special community in carrying out our most profound promise: to be a place that cares.  

Thank you for being a community that cares about our students. 

Eli Capilouto