Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds III

In March 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan which included additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding in the amount of $18.4M in emergency grants for students. 

Federal guidelines indicate that Boise State may award student grants for:

• Any component of the cost of attendance
• Emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as: tuition; food; housing; healthcare (including mental); child care

Boise State is required to prioritize students with exceptional financial need, such as those that receive Pell grants.

Feel free to review our HEERF III reporting web page to see how funds were used.

Boise State University offered the opportunity for Spring 2022 students to apply for HEERF III to pay emergency costs that arose due to coronavirus, such as: housing, health care (including mental health), and child care.

HEERF III applicants were asked to upload documentation of their coronavirus related financial impact.  Applications without documentation were automatically denied.

Eligibility requirements:

• Documented financial need due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic occurring on or after August 1, 2021.
• Spring 2022 enrollment in a financial aid eligible program
  • 5+ graduate credits
  • 6+ undergraduate credits
• Not receiving a senior citizen, faculty/staff/dependent waiver
• Applicants receiving other HEERF III funding, such as selection by the University, or a HEERF scholarship replacement, are unlikely to receive additional HEERF III funding in the same semester.

Examples of acceptable documentation* may include:

• Receipts of COVID related or urgent and unexpected medical and/or mental health expenses dated on/after August 1, 2021
• Screenshot of an unemployment application filed since August 1, 2021
• Letter from employer documenting a reduction of hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic occurring after August 1, 2021
• Letter from a medical or mental health professional explaining your inability to work after August 1, 2021 due to lingering effects of COVID-19
• Documentation of a rent increase for the same unit/home $50 or more per month in 2021 to now
• Documentation for the death of a spouse, parent, or child since August 1, 2021

*Dependent students may provide parent’s documentation

Important Dates:

• The application was available January 28, 2022 through February 20, 2022
• Applications were reviewed on a rolling basis;
• Notification of funding decision was sent via BroncoMail within three weeks of submission
• Funding for approved applications was distributed via the student account when available. (Approved applicants must have met eligibility requirements on the date of distribution.)

Approved applications were awarded $250 per enrolled credit with a maximum cap set at $3,000.

Recipients of HEERF III will be provided the option to grant permission for the funds to directly apply to any student account balance due.  This may be provided within the application or by the completion of a to-do item assigned in the Student Center.

• Degree seeking undergraduate and graduate students.
• Enrolled at least half-time with a 2021-22 FAFSA on file as of October 19, 2021 when the selection data was collected.
• Not receiving a senior citizen or faculty/staff/dependent waiver.
• Recipients must be enrolled on the date funds are distributed to be eligible. 

Enrollment  Eligibility Table

EFC Table

Instructions for how to view your EFC.

HEERF III recipients with a Fall 2021 balance due were assigned a To Do item in their Student Center. Completing this provided permission to apply HEERF III funds to their student financial account balance. This is similar to the current process used for past HEERF funds. Students who did not complete the To Do item had the grant refunded to them which may have left a balance on the account.  Keep in mind that balances on accounts prevent students from registering for future terms.

Boise State University offered the opportunity for Fall 2021 students to apply for HEERF III to pay emergency costs that arose due to coronavirus, such as: tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health), and child care.

HEERF III applicants were asked to upload documentation of their coronavirus related financial impact.  Applications without documentation were automatically denied.

Eligibility requirements:

• Documented financial need due to circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic occurring after January 1, 2021.
• Fall 2021 enrollment in a financial aid eligible program
  • 5+ graduate credits
  • 6+ undergraduate credits
• Not receiving a senior citizen, faculty/staff/dependent waiver
• Applicants receiving other HEERF III funding, such as selection by the University, are unlikely to receive additional HEERF III funding in the same semester.

Examples of acceptable documentation* may include:

• Receipts of COVID related medical and/or mental health expenses dated on/after January 1, 2021
• Screenshot of an unemployment application filed since January 1, 2021
• Letter from employer documenting a reduction of hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic occurring after January 1, 2021
• Letter from a medical or mental health professional explaining your inability to work after January 1, 2021 due to lingering effects of COVID-19

*Dependent students may provide parent’s documentation

Important Dates:

• The application was available the week of July 12, 2021 through August, 9, 2021
• Applications were reviewed on a rolling basis;
• Notification of funding decision were sent via BroncoMail within three weeks of submission
• Funding for approved applications was distributed via the student account on the first day of fall classes – August 23, 2021. (Approved applicants must meet eligibility requirements on the date of distribution.)

Recipients of HEERF III were provided the option to grant permission for the funds to directly apply to any student account balance due.  This may have been provided within the application or by the completion of a to-do item assigned in the Student Center.

Undergraduate students who received a 2020-21 scholarship (Presidential, Dean’s, True Blue Promise, Gem, WUE or Treasure) but did not meet renewal criteria at the end of the academic year. 

• Automatically eligible for HEERF III in the equivalent amount of the lost scholarship, if: 
  • 2.0 – 2.99 GPA
  • 15 – 24 credits completed during the fall/spring semesters; 8 – 12 credits completed for one semester scholarship recipients.
• 4-year scholarship recipients whose 4th year was 2020-21 will automatically receive HEERF III funding in 2021-22 in the amount equivalent to their 2020-21 scholarship, if:
  • Earned less than 120 credits toward their degree
• 2-year scholarship recipients whose 2nd year was 2020-21 will receive HEERF III in 2021-22 in the amount equivalent to their 2020-21 scholarship. 

• Opportunity to appeal* the lost scholarship and receive equivalent HEERF III funding in 2021-22, if:
  • Less than 2.0 GPA; 
  • Less than 15 credits completed during the fall/spring semesters; Less than 8 credits completed for one semester scholarship recipients
  • Consideration for an extension of a 4-year scholarship award: earned greater than 120 credits
  • 2020-21 nonresident scholarship recipients who have changed their major to Nursing or Pre-Nursing in 2021-22

*If you have the opportunity to appeal, an email with instruction was sent to you on June 14, 2021

Students meeting scholarship renewal requirements at the end of 2021-22 will be eligible to receive their original scholarship in 2022-23.

Additional eligibility criteria:

• 12+ credits of enrollment in both the fall and spring semesters.
• The semester scholarship equivalent amount of HEERF III funds will be paid to the student account on the first day of classes 
  • Fall 2021: August 23, 2021 
  • Spring 2022: January 10, 2022

471 students meeting this criteria were notified of their eligibility for HEERF III in 2021-22 via BroncoMail on June 14, 2021. Students eligible to appeal were also provided instructions to complete that process.  

Eligible HEERF III recipients are assigned a To Do item in their Student Center to provide permission for HEERF III funds to apply to any student financial account balance. This is similar to the current process used for financial aid funds.  The HEERF III program requires permission for the funds to be applied to your charges. Keep in mind that balances on accounts prevent student from registering for future terms. 

• Undergraduate students actively enrolled or successfully completed 3+ credits during the summer semester.
• Student account balance due greater than $100.
• Fully utilized available federal student loan funds during the 2020-21 academic year (fall, spring and summer)
• Not receiving a senior citizen, faculty/staff/dependent waiver
• Amount of HEERF III: $293 per enrolled credit; up to a maximum of 12 credits

Eligibility for this criteria was determined by data pulled on May 27, 2021.  Eligible students were notified via BroncoMail on June 7, 2021 that HEERF III funds would be distributed to them on June 11, 2021.

• Less than 10 students experienced summer Pell grant processing issues.  HEERF III was distributed to these students to replace the canceled funding.  Amounts ranged from $1,198 to $1,587.