CARES Act letter from Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

Apr. 28, 2020

This message was sent to University of Nevada, Reno students.

Dear University of Nevada, Reno undergraduate, graduate and medical students,

We hope you are well and staying safe in these unprecedented times for our nation, the world, and our University. We appreciate the federal government’s recognition of the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic in your lives and is providing funding to our students. As part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the University has been allocated limited funds designated to assist degree seeking students in need as a result of the pandemic and its disruption of campus operations.

The purpose of this message is to communicate who is eligible for these funds and how to apply. Guidance provided by the Department of Education requires eligibility for the receipt of federal assistance as outlined in Section 484, Title IV of the Higher Education Act. This includes but is not limited to the demonstration of the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.

If you have a successfully completed 2019-20 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on file with the University, you have already demonstrated basic eligibility to apply for COVID-19 assistance. If you do not have a 2019-20 FAFSA on file, submit one immediately.

To request CARES Act assistance, eligible students should complete an online request form.

If a student submits a request for assistance and we do not have a FAFSA on file, the request will be held until the university receives a successfully completed FAFSA. The request for assistance will be considered according to the date of receipt of the form. Funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.

There are emergency funds from other sources for international and undocumented students that are not eligible for the CARES Act funding. These funds can be requested from the Dean of Students Office and through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

For more information please visit the CARES Act FAQ’s page and any questions may be directed to Tim Wolfe in the Financial Aid Office at finaid@unr.edu.