Dear Howard University Students,
We hope you and your families are staying safe during this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize the financial hardships that many of you are suffering, and we are trying to assist in ways we can.
To date, the University has refunded approximately $7 million in room, board and other fees collected, -- and reduced remaining outstanding student balances for room, board and other fees charged -- for the period since the campus closure in March.
Following the campus closure, the Federal Government passed the “CARES” Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security”). As part of the CARES Act, Howard University received $4.36 million this Spring to provide additional assistance to students over the next year to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, such as food, housing, utilities, course materials, technology, healthcare, childcare, and moving/transportation expenses.
On May 20, 2020, the University announced that it would distribute approximately half of these emergency aid funds immediately to students who were enrolled in the 2020 Spring Semester (Phase I). The Phase II balance will be used to help meet student needs during the Summer and during the Fall 2020 semester.
In accordance with that decision, $2.5M was disbursed on Friday, May 29, 2020 to over 6,100 eligible undergraduate, graduate and professional students, in grants ranging from $250 to $500.
The CARES grants were awarded based on a student’s level of financial need, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (“FAFSA”). This was done to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s guidance that to receive emergency Federal aid grants, students must meet eligibility criteria as defined in Section 484 of Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (the “HEA”). Under Section 484 of the HEA, eligibility requirements include demonstrated financial need, enrollment in a degree-granting academic program, and maintenance of satisfactory academic progress (“SAP”).
Students who did not file a FASFA for the 2019-2020 academic year were not eligible to receive CARES Act funds. A small number of you may have noticed on your student account that a grant was reversed (a credit and reversal under the payment column on your student account). This occurred because, during the final validation process prior to disbursement, we found that some students who had not filed a FASFA were erroneously awarded a CARES award, and those erroneous entries were corrected. If you believe that you had a FASFA on file for academic year 2019-2020 and had an award reversed, please contact Bursarhelp@howard.edu.
Unfortunately, we were unable to award CARES grants to recent graduates, as they are no longer enrolled at Howard and therefore no longer meet the Title IV requirements. If federal guidance changes in the future, the University will disburse funds to May 2020 graduates.
There are about 390 eligible students who have not received CARES grants because their direct deposit information needs to be updated in Bison Web. Without the correct information the University is unable to disburse funds. To verify your direct deposit information, please go to Bison Web -> Student Services -> Student Accounts -> Direct Deposit and ensure that you have the correct bank account information (account number and routing number).
If you have any further questions, please contact Bursarhelp@howard.edu.
Thank you for your strength, patience and understanding in these extraordinary times. The University is working hard to determine how and when students, faculty and staff can safely return to our campus. Announcements will be forthcoming as soon as final decisions have been made. In the meantime, please stay safe.
Excellence in Truth and Service,
Michael Masch
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
