SFS Announcements
You can find important updates and announcements below. Information is updated periodically, so be sure to check back.
Coronavirus
Advising Updates
Out of an abundance of caution and care for our students, Student Financial Services will be closed for walk-ins until further notice. We encourage you to submit any questions you may have through askSFS, our online contact form. SFS Advisors will be responding as quickly as able to your inquiries.
Please continue to review UD's coronavirus site for important updates.
Federal and private/alternative loans with applications submitted by June 30 will appear as pending aid on your student account by August 1.
Billing Timeline for 2021 Fall Semester
| Billing Notification Sent |
Full Payment or 1st Installment Due |
2nd Installment Due |
3rd Installment Due |
Final Payment Due |
|
Undergraduate
|
mid-July | August 1 |
September 1 |
October 1 |
November 1 |
Graduate/PCS |
early August | September 1 |
October 1 | November 1 |
Apply for Financial Aid
U.S. citizens/permanent resident students interested in applying for financial aid for academic year 2021-2022 should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid using UD's school code of 001431.
Student Health Insurance
Full-time undergraduate, non-contracted full-time graduate, contracted graduate, and international students are required to have health insurance, and UD provides a student plan into which they can be enrolled automatically.
Health insurance charges are billed to the student account, but can be waived. Returning students can access the waiver and enrollment forms now. Incoming freshmen will be able to access the forms in mid-July.
Visit University Health Plans to waive the UD Health Plan or to enroll. Waiver deadline: September 15.
ARP HEERF III Emergency Financial Aid Grant to Students
The University of Delaware is estimated to receive $16,130,671 in HEERF funding for the allocation of ermergency grants to students.
Students who are or were enrolled at an eligible institution of higher education or after March 13, 2020, the date of declaration of the national emergency due to the coronavirus are eligible for emergency financial aid grants from HEERF, regardless of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing status.
Institutions are directed to prioritize students with exceptional need (such as those receiving Pell grants) in the allocating of ARP funds. Exceptional need may also include eligibility for other federal or state need-based aid, reduced income or loss of employment for the student or student's family, or food/housing insecurity.
International, DACA, and undocumented students may receive HEERF funding, if exceptional need is demonstrated. The Department of Education encourages institutions to prioritize domestic students, especially undergraduates, in allocating this funding.
Institutions may not
- condition the receipt of emergency financial aid grants to students on continued or future enrollment in the institution,
- use the emergency financial aid grants to satisfy a student's outstanding account balance unless it has obtained the student's written or electronic affirmative consent, or
- require such consent as a condition of the receipt of or eligibility for the emergency financial aid grants.
Emergency financial aid grants may be used by students for any component of their cost of attendance, or for emergency costs that arise due to the coronovirus emergency, such as food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care.
Emergency financial aid grants are not financial aid, and they are provided to the students to determine how the grants are used. An institution must receive affirmative written or electronic consent from a student before applying any portion of an emergency financial aid grant to the student's outstanding account balance. An institution may not compel a student to use any portion of his/her grant to satisfy any existing debts.
If a student does not request a refund of the emergency financial aid grant by a reasonable date communicated to the student by the institution, the institution may reverse the grant from the account and redistribute the funds to other eligible students. Institutions should engage in reasonable attempts to contact a student prior to reversing grant funds, and should document the procedures, policies, and student contact efforts as part of its HEERF grant administration.
HEERF II - Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)
As part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), the University of Delaware is estimated to receive $6.08M for student support. UD is awarding these funds to students based on program guidance and more information is included below.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on December 27, 2020. In total, the CRRSAA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in additiona to the $30.75 billing former Secretary DeVos expeditiously provided last spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136. Additional information can be found on the U.S. Department of Education's (ED) Office of Postsecondary Education website.
Using ED's guidance, along with the CARES Act legislative language, the following guidelines have been developed in determining eligibility and allowable uses for the HEERF student share.
Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants, in awarding financial aid grants to students. However, Pell eligibility or receipt is not required to receive CRRSAA funding. In addition, CRRSAA explicitly provides that financial aid grants may be provided to students exclusively enrolled in distance education.
The June 17, 2020 Interim Final Rule (IFR) (85 FR 36494), which limited student eligibility for emergency funding under the CARES Act to students who are or could be eligible to participate in the Department's Title IV federal student financial aid programs under HEA Section 484, apply to HEERF programs under CARES and is not applicable to CRRSAA funds. The IFR and its implementing regulation, 34 CFR ยง 668.2, apply only to funds made available under the CARES Act and not to funds made available under CRRSAA.
Regarding CRRSAA financial aid grants, institutions may not
- condition the receipt of financial aid grants to students on continued or future enrollment in the institution,
- use the financial aid grants to satisfy a student's outstanding account balance, unless it has obtained the student's written (or electronic) affirmative consent, or
- require such consent as a condition of receipt of or eligibility for the financial aid grant.
Financial aid grants for students may be used for any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care.
The funds will be applied directly to a student's account. After obtaining the student's written (or electronic) affirmative consent, the student may leave the funds on the student account; otherwise, the student may elect to take the funds as a refund. The Department believes that allowing students to consent to the application of a CRRSAA financial aid grant to their student accounts would facilitate use of funds, if desired by the student, while retaining the student's discretion to determine what costs should be covered with these financial aid grant funds.
Q: Does the student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) need to be completed in order to disburse HEERF student funds to the student?
A: While ED's guidance does not require a FAFSA, the FAFSA is the quickest and easiest way to confirm a student is eligible to participate in Title IV programs and meets all applicable eligibility requirements. As such, UD has limited CRRSAA funding to FAFSA filers.
Q: What eligibility criteria are in section 484 of the Higher Education Act (HEA)?
A: Section 484 of the HEA states that Title IV eligible students must
- be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program
- not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school
- if currently enrolled, be making satisfactotry academic progress
- not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans
- not be in default on a Title IV loan
- file "as part of the original financial aid application process" a certification that includes
- a statement of educational purpose
- student's SSN
- be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen
- have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges
- not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits
- have repaid Title IV loan amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limites if obtained inadvertently
- have Selective Service registration verified
- have social security number verified
- not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations.
Q: How will UD determine which students receive emergency grants and the amount of each grant?
A: ED encourages institutions to prioritize awarding of emergency grants to students with the greatest need. Information on UD's grant amounts by student population can be found in the table below.
CRRSAA Reporting Information
45 Day Reporting Requirement
On March 19, 2021, the University awarded 10,837 students $5,862,250 in CRRSAA funding. As of May 3, 2021, UD had 4,436 students request $2,444,600 in CRRSAA money be refunded to them.
CRRSAA Reporting Information
90 Day Reporting Requirement
As of June 14, 2021, UD had 4677 students request $2,562.700 in CRRSAA money be refunded to them.
University of Delaware Quarterly Reporting Requirement
CARES Act Reporting Information
30 Day Reporting Requirement
On April 22, 2020, the University of Delaware signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the Department of Education (ED) to receive CARES funding and intends to use at least 50% of the CARES Act funds received for emergency grants to UD students.
The University of Delaware received $6,087,405 in CARES Act funding from ED for emergency grant distribution to eligible students.
The total amount of emergency grants distributed to students as of May 18, 2020, was $2,496,897, to 5,220 students. All told, $5,940,300 was made accessible to 13,493 eligible students (the number of UD Title IV eligible students under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act). For students who have not completed the process required to determine Title IV eligibility or have higher expenses than the amount of the official CARES emergency grant, SFS is working closely with the Office of the Dean of Students to provide additional assistance until funding has been depleted.
The method used to determine which students received the emergency grants and how much they received was based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) according to the following table.
| EFC | Estimated Grant Amount | |
| up to $6,000 | $800 | |
| $6,001 - $20,000 | $500 | |
| $20,001 - $50,000 | $300 | |
| $50,001+ | $150 |
Eligible students were notified via email to the student (on May 11, 2020) and to the parent/guardian on record (on May 13, 2020) of the emergency grant assistance available. The communication advised students to refer to their student accounts for grant award amounts and to request the funds be sent to them either via direct deposit or check to their current address.
Students were informed these funds cannot remain on the student account to reduce balances due to the University. The University also required students to certify their eligibility for the grant funds by listing the amount of eligible COVID-19-related expenses the grant would offset. Examples provided to the students to assist in determining cost-of-attendance-related expenses resulting from COVID-19 included food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, child care, and transportation from campus to home. Students were able to request grant refunds to the lesser of the amount of the grant on their student account or the amount of eligible expenses certified.
CARES Act Reporting Information
90 Day Reporting Requirement
As of July 23, 2020, UD had 10,633 students receive $4,722,006 of the $6,087,405 in CARES Grant Emergency funding awarded to them. Students who have not yet requested an emergency grant may do so by submitting a request to askSFS, including the expenses and amount requested. (Note: Approved grant amounts may differ from the amount requested and will be based on funds available and the original grant eligibility, determined by EFC.)
Below is a list of eligible expenses. Documentation may be required for requested expenses.
- Food
- Housing (e.g., rent)
- Moving expenses (e.g., storage)
- Technology for online classes
- Transportation (e.g., unanticipated travel costs)
- Child care
- Student's COVID-related healthcare and medical expenses
CARES Act Reporting Information
120 Day Reporting Requirement
As of September 11, 2020, UD had awarded $5,875,920 of the $6,087,405 in CARES Grant Emergency Funds. Of the amount awarded, 10,516 students have received funds totalling $5,465,025. The latest round of CARES Grant awards included $500 CARES Grant funds for students eligible for the federal Pell Grant, or those with Expected Family Contributions (EFCs) from the FAFSA of $6,000 or less, who were enrolled in Spring 2020 and Fall 2020. In addition, students who did not request their spring allocations of $150-$800 were offered their initial spring amounts.
Any remaining funds after October 1 will be reallocated based on levels from spring.