Apply for a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant is part of the federal Cares Act. It is intended to help students with financial needs due to COVID-19. The Department of Education has determined the eligibility requirements to receive this grant.

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Eligibility Requirements

You must be eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid (Title IV Aid) in order to be eligible for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Grant. To be a Title IV-eligible student, the student must: 

• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree, certificate or other recognized educational credential (including a program of study abroad approved for credit by the eligible institution at which such student is enrolled)–that is, a regular student under 34 CFR 600.2); 
• Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school and have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent; 
• Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP) if the student is a currently enrolled student; 
• Not owe an overpayment (refund) on Title IV grants; 
• Not be in default on a Title IV loan; 
• File with ED “as part of the original financial aid application process” a certification (Statement of Educational Purpose) that includes: 
• A statement of educational purpose, and 
• The student’s Social Security Number (SSN); 
• Be a U.S citizen or national, a permanent resident, or an eligible noncitizen; 
• Have returned any fraudulently obtained Title IV funds, if the student is convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges; 
• Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits; 
• Have repaid any Title IV loan overpayment amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits, if obtained inadvertently; 
• Have his Selective Service registration verified (the Title IV aid ineligibility for failure to register is actually in the Selective Service Act §3811(f)); 
• Have a valid SSN, except for residents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau; and 
• Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations. 

To determine Title IV aid eligibility, students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year. If you have not submitted a 2019-2020 FASA, you may do so at www.fafsa.gov. 

In addition to these requirements, a student is not eligible if they were enrolled in programs that were exclusively online before COVID-19 closures or withdrew from the spring semester before March 13. 

If you have extenuating circumstances or would like to add information to your application, please email the Financial Aid Office directly at finaid@wheeling.edu. 

For questions or concerns please contact the Financial Aid Office by Phone at 304-243-4397 or email: finaid@wheeling.edu.