VCU news

By Tom Gresham

Virginia Commonwealth University has established a COVID-19 emergency relief funding website that outlines qualifications for students seeking one-time grants available from federal or VCU-based relief funds.

The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act has made funding available to colleges and universities to assist eligible students affected by COVID-19. This funding allows schools to consider students for federal emergency aid grants for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student's cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care). In addition, students impacted by COVID-19 but not eligible for federal funds may be eligible for emergency funding being offered through VCU Student Affairs.

VCU’s COVID-19 emergency relief funding website, which can be found at finaid.vcu.edu/manage/covid19funding/, details the qualifications for federal or institutional relief funds. The value of the one-time grants may vary up to $2,000 based on a student’s circumstances. Students who apply for emergency relief funding should expect to hear from the VCU Student Financial Management Center within 10 business days of submitting an application.

If students have questions, they can contact the VCU Student Financial Management Center via phone (available 24 hours a day) at (844) 348-5073, chat with a representative online (also available 24 hours a day), or email a financial counselor: last names beginning with A-G — faidmailag@vcu.edu; last names beginning with H-N — faidmailhn@vcu.edu; and last names beginning with O-Z — faidmailoz@vcu.edu.