COVID-19 Financial Aid
All COVID-19 related funding was expended during the 19-20, 20-21 and 21-22 academic years. No COVID-19-related emergency funding is anticipated for the 22-23 academic year.
The University of Houston has been providing emergency grant funding to assist students whose households have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds were provided by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) through the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
NOTICE: The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid does not employ tax experts and by law cannot answer specific tax questions or help students prepare tax forms. It is the student’s responsibility to meet their tax obligations. We offer this FAQ from the IRS to guide students as they discuss these matters with tax preparers.
Important information:
- Grants are available to degree-seeking students whose households were impacted by COVID-19 anytime since March 13, 2020 and have been enrolled at the University of Houston since March 13, 2020, with preference given to currently enrolled students.
- Students must document losses or expenses specifically related to COVID-19 as funds can only be awarded with documentation.
- Processing times may take up to six weeks.
Grant Maximum Increased
Effective January 20, the maximum allowable grant from HEERF III funding has been increased to $10,000 for the 2021-22 academic year. The previous maximum had been $6,495.
Students who previously submitted applications which were awarded the old maximum of $6,495 will automatically be reviewed for additional eligibility in the order in which they were received. Reprocessing of prior applications may take six to eight weeks.
- If the documentation previously submitted supports an increase in funding, it will automatically be applied to your account, up to a total of $10,000.
- If the documentation previously submitted only supports a smaller increase, that amount will be awarded, and the student will have a new application added to their To Do List to submit an additional application and documentation in support of the total maximum grant amount of $10,000.
Students who previously submitted applications which were awarded less than the old maximum, will have a new application added to their To Do List to submit an additional application and documentation in support of the total maximum grant amount of $10,000.
View previous sources of funding for students impacted by COVID-19