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If I depend on financial support from my parents and they were negatively impacted by COVID-19, am I eligible for this funding?

If families incurred expenses due to reduced work hours or loss of employment due to COVID-19 and those circumstances impacted students’ ability to pay for expenses related to their pursuit of higher education — such as housing, food, course materials, technology, healthcare and child care — students may apply and explain how these circumstances impacted their ability to pay for their academic-related expenses.

Related FAQs

The application window to apply for CARES Act funds closed at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19. Please note that assistance is subject to availability of funds, and applicants must meet eligibility criteria.

UCF is awarding 18,514 students who met eligibility criteria and completed an application that stated their need for support with a total of $16,715,854.

The maximum award levels for the first round of emergency aid is $950 for Pell-eligible students and $900 for non-Pell-eligible students. If students requested less in their applications, they received the lesser amount.

Requests ranged from $9 for technology to $30,000 for medical bills. When possible, UCF worked to provide funding in the amount each applicant requested unless it exceeded the maximum award level.

Undergraduate, graduate and medical degree-seeking students are eligible, but must have submitted a 2019-2020 FAFSA or must submit a FAFSA application by the June 30 deadline in order to be eligible for the funding. Students must also meet federal aid eligibility criteria, including but not limited to:

  • Being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (i.e. permanent resident or conditional permanent resident)
  • Having a valid Social Security number
  • Having a high school diploma, GED or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting
  • Being degree-seeking
  • Must be enrolled in the term for which they are seeking assistance
  • Cannot be in default on federal student loans
  • Being registered with Selective Service, if male
  • Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Cannot exceed aggregate loan limit or Pell Grant lifetime usage
  • Cannot owe an overpayment on federal aid programs

Additionally, students enrolled in an all online program of study are not eligible.

Funding is limited, and applications will be reviewed based upon request. For students who are not eligible for CARES Act funding, UCF will evaluate applications to determine whether other forms of assistance may apply.

UCF awarded 65 percent of the $25.5 million in federal CARES Act dollars the university received for direct student support.

UCF will reopen the application later this month to allow students who missed the first application window to apply and so that students who did not receive the maximum amount can request additional support if they have other expenses.

The university followed guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and prioritized assistance to eligible students with the most urgent needs, providing up to 75 percent of the available funds for grants to Pell-eligible students, with the balance to non-Pell-eligible students.

Students whose education has been disrupted due to COVID-19 were given the opportunity to receive this funding by outlining the different areas (housing, food insecurity, utilities, etc.) for which they were experiencing financial impacts caused by COVID-19, and when possible, UCF worked to provide funding in the amount requested.

Because funds remain leftover, the university will proceed with a second application cycle this summer.

Students may still be eligible for CARES Act funding but must submit a FAFSA application. We recommend these students apply for CARES Act funding and fill out a FAFSA application, which takes the Department of Education 48-72 hours to process.

Students who have direct deposit associated with myUCF will receive their funding directly into that account. Only U.S bank accounts can be used for direct deposit, and some banks take longer to process payments.

Students without direct deposit will be mailed a paper check to the home address on record with the university. The home address in myUCF must be a residential U.S. address.

CARES Act funds are designed to assist with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, such as housing, food, course materials, technology, healthcare and child care.

The university followed guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.

You may be eligible for additional funding through a second application cycle.

You also may contact Student Care Services to discuss eligibility and availability of other funds by emailing caremanager@ucf.edu.

The email you received explained why you did not receive CARES Act funding. Please review that message closely. If you believe the decision was in error, please contact caresact@ucf.edu.

Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, we expect that it will be 3-4 weeks before students will receive the money.

If you were ineligible to receive CARES Act funds or have received Cares Act funds, but are still experiencing financial distress, you can reach out to Student Care Services at caremanager@ucf.edu or 407-823-5607 to discuss and explore additional resources that may be available.

Eligibility for CARES funds was extended to undergraduate, graduate and medical degree-seeking students who had submitted a 2019-2020 FAFSA by May 19, the date the CARES Act application closed. Students must also have met federal aid eligibility criteria, including but not limited to:

  • Being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (i.e. permanent resident or conditional permanent resident)
  • Having a valid Social Security number
  • Having a high school diploma, GED or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting
  • Being degree-seeking
  • Must be enrolled in the term for which they are seeking assistance
  • Cannot be in default on federal student loans
  • Being registered with Selective Service, if male
  • Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Cannot exceed aggregate loan limit or Pell Grant lifetime usage
  • Cannot owe an overpayment on federal aid programs

Additionally, UCF Online students were not eligible.

We encourage all eligible students in need to fill out the emergency grant application and outline their hardships.

The application for the second round of CARES Act funding will be open through 11:59 p.m. July 5. Complete an application here. Please note that you’ll need to log in and complete the application in full.

Award amounts will vary based upon student’s request and available funding.

Every application will be evaluated individually, and the amount granted will be based on the request and available funding.

Yes, students who graduated in Spring 2020 were eligible to apply for funding. The application window closed at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19.

Students who do not meet the eligibility requirement for CARES Act funding are encouraged to contact Student Care Services to discuss eligibility for Student Emergency funds by emailing caremanager@ucf.edu.

Students are encouraged to review their financial aid package and can contact Financial Aid by emailing sfasapandpj@ucf.edu. They should include “Professional Judgement” in the subject line and provide a detailed explanation of their special circumstance. Please allow 3-5 business days for a response.

If students are continuing to experience financial distress, they are encouraged to contact Student Care Services to discuss eligibility for Student Emergency funds by emailing caremanager@ucf.edu.

Yes, students may be eligible for both forms of support. Those who have applied for the Student Emergency Fund are encouraged to also apply for CARES Act funding.

The federal legislation outlined eligibility criteria, not UCF. The federal funding is designed to assist students who meet eligibility criteria and who had their face-to-face instruction impacted by COVID-19.

Students who do not meet the eligibility requirement for CARES Act funding are encouraged to contact Student Care Services to discuss eligibility for Student Emergency funds by emailing caremanager@ucf.edu.

No, the CARES Act money is a federal emergency grant that is not required to be repaid.

If your question is not answered here, email CARESAct@ucf.edu. Emails will be responded to within 48 business hours in the order in which they were received.

Students should complete the CARES Act funding application. Students also may be directed to Student Care Services for further assistance and can email caremanager@ucf.edu.

UCF students are being affected in very real ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re among those in a position to help UCF students who are struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic,  pledge your support through the university’s relief fund.

Yes. Students may receive additional funding if they meet eligibility criteria and have additional expenses.

For students who completed the CARES Act application in round 1 of funding but did not receive funding because they only completed the 2020-2021 FAFSA, were enrolled for the spring or are currently enrolled for the summer term, your application will automatically be considered, but you may complete a new application if you have updated expenses.

For students who are summer B admits, who completed the CARES Act application in round 1, and completed either the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 FAFSA, your application will automatically be considered, but you may complete a new application if you have updated expenses.

The governor’s “Safer At Home” order is in effect at this time, and public health officials are advising against any non-essential travel. While we understand that commencement is a momentous occasion for our students and their families, coming to campus to take graduation photos does not meet the threshold for essential travel.

We’re all looking forward to the time when it’s safe for our community to return to campus. That time will come sooner for everyone if we continue staying at home and social distancing efforts.

There are several ways to save money at the Bookstore:

  • First Day Program – Course materials are delivered directly through WebCourses@UCF at the lowest market price and billed to your UCF student account.
  • Price Match Program – Save on new and used textbook purchases and used rental being sold directly by BN.com, Amazon or local off-campus competitors. Visit the bookstore website for more details.
  • Used Textbooks – The Bookstore has the largest selection of used UCF textbooks which is a savings of 25% off the new price.
  • Digital Titles – Save up to 80% on hundreds of available titles.
  • Rental – Save up to 80% on new and used titles.

Stop by the campus bookstore during regular business hours or print out a free UPS return label:

  • Go to UCF.BNCollege.com, use dropdown for Textbook Rentals, click on Rental Returns tab, enter your order ID# and email address to access your free UPS rental return label.

Please visit our campus websites for more information:

If you made your donation through a campaign on a website page (the foundation, alumni or givecampus sites) the cords were mailed out on Friday, April 24, and will arrive the week of April 27. If you can made your gift through ordering your cap and gown directly, Herff Jones can mail them to you with cap and gown items. You can call Herff Jones FAQ at 904-641-4060 and mention that you’d like your class gift cord. If you are already having your cap and gown sent to you for photos, it’s included with the package if you made a donation.

Students must be enrolled for the summer term, have completed a 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 FAFSA and meet other federal eligibility criteria.