COVID-19 Updates and Guidance > FAQs > Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III)

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III)

On March 11, 2021, the American Recovery Plan (ARP) was signed into law. The act provides more than $39.6 billion in emergency support to higher education, including public, private nonprofit, and proprietary institutions and their students. Building on the structure of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of March 2020, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has designated these additional higher education support funds under the ARP as “HEERF III.”

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Students eligible for the funds must have been enrolled on or after March 13, 2020. In addition, the Department of Education requires institutions to prioritize the disbursement of the funds to the students with highest need. DePaul has chosen to use the results from FAFSA, Illinois Rise Act and Institutional Need Assessment applications to select students with the highest need. Under the American Recovery Plan, the department expanded the eligibility criteria to include international students, DACA recipients, other DREAMers, and similar undocumented students.

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​Students can use funds towards:
  • Any component of their cost of attendance including but not limited to tuition and fees, book costs, supplies, transportation, miscellaneous personal expenses (e.g. computer), and room and board
  • Emergency costs due to coronavirus such as, tuition, food, housing, health care or childcare

Eligible students may receive between $500 and $2,500. DePaul will determine the amount based on a review of each student's Financial Aid application (FAFSA, RISE, etc.) or personal circumstance identified in the application. Funds​​ are limited, so the disbursement amount is subject to change.​

Eligible students received an email the week of Aug. 9, 2021, with instructions on how to receive the funds and a required questionnaire. Students must have completed the questionnaire by Aug. 20, 2021. Failure to meet the deadline will result in loss of funding. 

For questions, contact DePaul Central at dpcl@depaul.edu or 312-362-8610.

Submit a question

If you can’t find an answer that you’re looking for, submit a question to our COVID-19 response team.

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