April 30, 2020

Wheeling University Receives $383,326 in Federal Coronavirus Relief

WHEELING, WV

Wheeling University has received $383,326 from the Department of Education as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Services (CARES) Act, to provide financial assistance to students impacted by the pandemic.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant, totaling more than $6 billion, will come via the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund and will be distributed directly to colleges and universities to provide emergency grants to college students whose lives and educations have been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak.      

The CARES Act is providing nearly $14 billion to support postsecondary education students and institutions. College and university allocations are set by a formula prescribed in the CARES Act that is weighted significantly by the number of full-time students who are Pell-eligible, but also takes into consideration the total population of the school and the number of students who were not enrolled full-time online before the coronavirus outbreak. The Department is utilizing the most recent data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Federal Student Aid (FSA) for this calculation.

According to the Department of Education guidelines, the funds will be used to distribute cash grants to provide students with financial assistance for needs stemming from COVID-19-related disruption of campus operations, including cost of attendance expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare. “I am extremely excited that this federal grant money is available for our students to assist with expenses related to disruptions to their education as a result of COVID-19,” said Ginny R. Favede, Wheeling University President. “It is our sincere hope that these funds will provide help in a timely, meaningful way to our students and their families.”

To be eligible for funding, Wheeling University students must be citizens of the United States, eligible for federal financial aid (Title IV funding) and enrolled at least half-time (less than half-time Pell eligible students may still be considered).  Additionally, a student is not eligible if they were enrolled in programs that were exclusively online even before COVID-19 closures.

All University students will receive an application via their university email account, which must be completed and submitted no later than May 8, 2020. A CARES Act Committee was recently appointed by President Favede that will work collaboratively to review applications and make funding recommendations. The Committee consists of faculty, coaches, financial aid and other University administrators. President Favede emphasizes “I am committed to supporting our students and ensuring they receive a high-quality educational experience.”