The University of Rhode Island is committed to ensuring that our students can make progress towards graduation, despite the challenges they may face from the COVID-19 pandemic. To help support our students’ financial needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Rhode Island has provided emergency financial aid Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants to eligible students.
To comply with reporting requirements and to offer transparency to our community, we are providing details about our use of these funds.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, provides emergency funding to address higher education challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been three rounds of this funding for both students and the institution. The University of Rhode Island has been granted funding in each round:
HEERF I (CARES Act) The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020.
HEERF II (CRRSA) was authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, or CRRSA Act, and was signed into law on December 27, 2020.
HEERF III (ARP) was authorized under the American Rescue Plan and was signed into law on March 11, 2021.