UNC Asheville awards $450 emergency grants to cover textbooks, other expenses for students at start of fall semester

Press release from UNC Asheville:

UNC Asheville begins the fall 2021 semester with $300 to $450 emergency grant awards to all eligible students to cover the estimated costs of textbooks for the semester and help them with other expenses. All students enrolled in six or more credit hours will receive the full $450. Students enrolled in three to five credit hours will receive $300. Students may choose to participate in the Bookstore Advance Program, which allows students with authorized financial aid to use a portion of their anticipated refund to purchase textbooks prior to the first day of classes, or they can apply the funding to their student account to reduce their balance. The funding will be applied to students’ accounts or given as a refund the second week of classes. This distribution depends on each student’s preference and may be indicated by completing the steps below. To receive the $300 to $450 grant, students must do the following: Be enrolled in UNC Asheville classes for the fall 2021 semester Complete the Bookstore Advance Program form if they select that option Complete a form in OnePort if they want the money applied to their fall semester account balance The emergency grants are part of the third round of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund or HEERF, for short. UNC Asheville received $4.794 million HEERF III Funds in May, and also plans to use the funding to cover tuition and fees for students who have exhausted their financial aid beyond program maximums, but are still on course to graduate in the next two semesters. These seniors may also receive an additional $1,200 as a cost of living stipend. “We already have students lining up for funding,” said Interim Director of Financial Aid Shannon Shepherd. “Just about every student has an emergency due to the pandemic and is in need of support. At UNC Asheville, our small size and personalized approach means we can apply this funding immediately to meet the most pressing needs of students and their families.” UNC Asheville continues its open application for students who have extraordinary needs. As of June 30, 2021, $3,427,242 of the Federal (CARES and HEERF) Emergency Grant has been awarded to 3,235 students. The requests have ranged from tuition and fees, to additional expenses including in the cost of attendance, such as housing, food, utilities, health insurance, mental health care, transportation or child care. UNC Asheville also provided funding for incoming students completing their first-year seminar in summer 2021. For more information, visit https://coronavirus.unca.edu/resources/cares-act/.