All 12 State University System administrators, alumni, and student government groups are continuing to raise funds to financially support their students through the COVID-19 pandemic via emergency aid, grants, and loans. The following is a list of State University System university emergency funds created to financially assist students and keep them in a position to continue their education.
The U.S. Department of Education, through Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, is providing funds to assist students impacted by the novel coronavirus. The CARES Act established and funded the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency financial aid grants. These funds are available to help students cover expenses related to food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.
FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University has reinvigorated its FAMU Cares relief account to support students with financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be made available to all FAMU students, including those enrolled at the College of Law in Orlando.
FAMU will soon receive $6.5 million from the federal CARES Act to assist students with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY
Florida Atlantic University has established the FAU Cares Emergency Fund for currently registered, degree-seeking students who are experiencing financial hardship during this time.
FAU will be distributing $11.2 million in funding from the federal CARES Act. For more information on FAU’s CARES Act funds and how students can apply, visit FAU’s Emergency Student Financial Aid.
FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY
Florida Gulf Coast University is offering the Eagle Emergency Fund to students in emergency and crises with emergency funding options. For additional support for students, faculty, and staff can refer to FGCU Student Care Services.
FGCU will also be distributing $5.5 million in Emergency Financial Assistance from the federal CARES Act.
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
Florida International University has activated the FIUstrong fund to help the university due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Private funds raised will help fill the gap to meet needs not filled by the recently passed federal CARES act. To apply for emergency aid, students can go here, and employees can go here.
FIU will distribute approximately $19 million in emergency funding from the CARES Act to students whose lives and education have been affected by the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
FLORIDA POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
Florida Polytechnic University has two emergency funds available to help students cover their critical needs. The Student Government Association (SGA) created Phund-A-Phoenix, an immediate fund intended to help students with education-related expenses to up to $200.
The Florida Poly CARES fund will include $626,000 received from the federal CARES Act to help students fulfill their financial needs and to be able to continue their education during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
Florida State University has launched an emergency fundraising effort aimed at helping students struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FSU Foundation unveiled two emergency funds that are accepting donations—one addressing the needs with FSU in Tallahassee, the other for those from FSU Panama City.
FSU has also announced that the proceeds raised from this year’s edition of FSU’s Great Give, will be used to support the student emergency funds.
Florida State University received $14.6 million from the federal CARES Act, designated for emergency grants to students. Students eligible to receive CARES Act funding were notified by email on May 11 and should receive funding as soon as May 13.
NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA
New College of Florida has received a $28,000 initiative grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation for emergency and critical needs relief for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds will be added to the New College Foundation, which raises necessary private funding that enables New College to provide outstanding liberal arts and science education to high-achieving undergraduates from Florida or elsewhere.
New College of Florida has been allocated $418,000 from the federal CARES Act and has provided information on how New College will distribute its CARES Act fund to students.
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
The University of Central Florida is providing support for students during the COVID-19 pandemic through the UCF Foundation. UCF has also established an Emergency Relief Fund that includes various ways to donate, including a Student Emergency Fund, Student Housing Insecurity Fund, and Employee Relief Fund.
The university will soon be distributing $25.5 million in CARES Act funding designed to assist students with expenses for undergraduate, graduate, and M.D. students related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. UCF students can apply for aid here. The application window will be open through 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, May 19.
UCF employees have also donated over 100,000 hours of leave time to support coworkers who are unable to work due to COVID-19 to the Knights Care Leave Share page
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
The University of Florida is providing emergency funding for students through Aid-A-Gator. To apply for emergency funding, students should complete the Aid-A-Gator Application. For additional information, visit the UF Student Aid-A-Gator Frequently Used Questions.
UF is awaiting $15.5 million from the CARES Act to help fund students in need. These critical funds will be available to eligible UF students to cover expenses related to unanticipated travel, additional technology requirements, or other needs related to an emergency. Information about UF’s federal CARES Act for Spring 2020 is found here.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH FLORIDA
The University of North Florida has created the Student Emergency Relief Fund to ease the financial circumstances students are facing and to help get them back on their feet during this time. Every gift to the UNF Student Emergency Relief Fund provides the university with the means to assist more students and make a difference in their lives.
UNF will be receiving $5.8 million from the federal CARES Act to be directly used to help assist the student during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please visit UNF’s CARES Act Emergency Aid Funding FAQ page for additional information.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
The University of South Florida has the USF United Support Fund to help students who are facing unexpected financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be available to students on all campuses—Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee.
USF has received $17.4 million from the federal CARES Act and has created the CARES Act Student Emergency Aid Funding page to assist student applications for emergency aid.
UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA
The University of West Florida has provided Student Emergency Grants and Emergency Loans for students needing to overcome financial obstacles to continue their education at UWF.
UWF also established the COVID-19 Leave Donation Plan for faculty and staff that allows a leave donor to donate their personally accrued leave into a UWF-sponsored leave pool for use by other employees who have adversely been affected by the pandemic. The University has also received a total of $18.4 million in HEERF funding to assist students during the time. For more information, visit UWF’s Federal Emergency Grants webpage.