HEERF III Relief Grants for Students
Dear Student,

Congress recently passed the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which provides COVID-19 relief grant funding for students enrolled in higher education. This funding is often referred to as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III). This legislation requires that Idaho State University prioritize the grant payments to students with the highest demonstrated need. These funds can be spent on anything related to the cost of attendance or educational expenses, such as daycare, food, housing, medical fees, etc.
Idaho State plans to distribute the grant funds to eligible students on September 8, 2021. You can learn more information about the funds on our CARES Act Funding website.
HEERF III payments to students will vary based on the Expected Family Contribution calculated on the FAFSA and their full-time or part-time status. The 2021-2022 FAFSA will be used to determine student needs. Eligible students who do not complete a FAFSA or who do not submit all required documents will receive only a limited payment. Students who have not completed their 2021-2022 FAFSA may still have time to complete this application and submit any required verification documents, but you will need to act quickly. 

Students who have not completed a FAFSA should start here. Be sure to add Idaho State's school code (001620) to your FAFSA to ensure that the information is sent to the University. We encourage you to utilize the IRS data retrieval tool in the FAFSA to import your 2019 tax and income information from the IRS. Then monitor your ISU email account and BengalWeb (go to the "Student Finances" page under "Financial Aid Requirements" for the "2021-2022 Academic Year") in case additional documents are needed. You will want to submit these documents as quickly as possible so that your FAFSA can be fully processed in time for the disbursement. If you have questions regarding the FAFSA process, please contact the ISU Financial Aid Office at (208) 282-2756 or email finaidem@isu.edu. 

OPT-IN OPTION: Eligible students can choose to have this grant apply to their outstanding ISU balance by completing the HEERF III Opt-In Survey on the “Home” tab in BengalWeb by September 7. Students who opt-in will have their funds applied first to any outstanding ISU balance. Excess funds, if any, will then be refunded to the student. Students are not required to opt in. For students who do not opt in, the entire grant amount will be refunded directly to the student, without being applied toward any outstanding balance.

E-REFUND: Students should also sign up for e-refund if they have not already. The e-refund process allows funds to be quickly disbursed to students. Sign up for e-refund online.

We understand that 2020 was a difficult year for many of you. If there were significant changes to you or your family’s financial situation, we may be able to review your circumstances and make changes to your financial aid offer. If this applies to you, please review the relevant “Special Circumstances” form on the Financial Aid Forms web page and follow the instructions.
Idaho State
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