ARP & SAIHE FAQs | UCSF Student Financial Services

ARP & SAIHE FAQs

ARP and SAIHE Emergency Relief Grants

Last updated: May 26, 2023

  • What is ARP and SAIHE?

    The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing $39,6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. ARP funds are in addition to funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136. Emergency funds available to institutions and their students under all emergency funds total $76.2 billion.

    The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The Department of Education (ED) published its application for the $113.5 million in Supplemental Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education (SAIHE) grants that were authorized under section 314(a)(3) from CRRSAA for institutions with the greatest unmet needs due to coronavirus. In the Federal Register Notice, ED establishes the eligibility requirements an institution must meet to be funded under one of the seven absolute priorities, including institutions for which graduate students are 90% or more of their student population.

    For more information, federal websites can be found here for: HEERF I, HEERF II, HEERF III and SAIHE.

  • Eligibility for ARP and SAIHE Funding (Who is Eligible?)

    To establish eligibility for funding at UCSF, students were required to complete the 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to accurately determine financial need. UCSF Student Financial Services (SFS) established ARP/SAIHE grants to make direct awards to eligible graduate students with exceptional need. Awards are based on exceptional financial need components including at least three of the following conditions;

    1. having been an undergraduate Pell Grant recipient,
    2. demonstrating a lower Expected Family Contribution (EFC),
    3. currently having and outstanding (federal/university) student loans,
    4. having been enrolled in at least one term in FY2021-22. (Foreign and undocumented students followed the above with requirements with information collected via a UCSF Qualtrics form and/or California Dream Application.)

     

  • HEERF Student Emergency Grant (How much will eligible student receive in FY2021-2022?)

    To date, a total of 1707 students have been awarded $1,200 each, totaling $2,048,400 in emergency student grant funding. Of these 1707 students, 654 are from ARP, and 1053 from SAIHE.

    (Note: Although HEERFIII/ARP was provided to UCSF based on prior HEERF I & II awards, SAIHE was applied for and awarded through a separate grant recognizing UCSF’s large graduate population and needs.)

    If you have not received your funds within 30 days of your scheduled disbursement, please contact SFS. In the meantime, please sign-up for direct deposit.

  • Refunding Timeline and Processing (When will eligible students receive award?)

    To date, eligible students had their grants disbursed through the SFS Portal and/or the Office of Registrar Direct Payment Portal. ARP/SAIHE student emergency grants are paid to students directly and are not applied to any outstanding student account balances. Students enrolled in direct deposit had their awards placed in their banking account, while others had a check mailed to their local addresses.

    (Due to IRS taxation rules, eligible foreign students will have their refunds paid via the stipend desks, and will be reflected in the SFS Portal, but not the Office of the Register Direct Payment Portal.)

  • Why didn’t I receive an ARP/SAIHE Emergency Student Grant?
    If you are ineligible for an ARP/SAIHE Emergency Relief Grant, and if you or your family were significantly affected by issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we may be able to help you with other basic-need resources. For more information, please contact SFS directly.
  • How much ARP/SAIHE Emergency Relief Grant aid was awarded to UCSF for student grants and to how many students is this being distributed?
    • UCSF received a total of $2,332,733 in HEERF Emergency Federal Financial Aid Grant Aid to be awarded to eligible, needy students in FY2021-23. Of this, $1,045,463 is from ARP, and $1,287,733 from SAIHE. Eligible students will be awarded $1,000 - $1,200 each, with an estimated total number 1,992 eligible student awardees.
    • The estimated number of registered students in winter 2022/spring 2023 was averaged at 3,182. Of these registered students, 2,899 met the HEERF awarding eligibility criteria.
    • The total number of awardees is 1,992 and represents 62.06% of average students registered during this period (3,182). Additionally, the number of awardees(1,992) represents 68.71% of registered students meeting eligibility criteria (2,899).
    • • All HEERF Emergency Grants funds have been distributed to students as of April 27, 2023.