On Nov. 5, Furman students received an email from Enrollment Services entitled "HEERF grant payment." The email centered on grant payment eligibility to students, and how to receive it through the school's Workday page. The HEERF, also known as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, draws grant money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The CARES Act was the same $2.2 trillion dollar bill from last year, passed by Congress on Mar. 27, 2020 to provide economic relief during the unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak. The bill allocated around $14 billion to the HEERF, which was provided to the Office of Postsecondary Education (In January of this year, the Department of Education announced that an additional $21.2 billion was also available for these same higher education institutions through "HEERF II").

The CARES Act directed higher learning institutions, such as Furman, to use no less than 50% of their allocated funds on student financial-aid grants. These grants are specifically what students were informed of in the November 5th email, which stated that students will receive their deposit no later than November 16th. If students have their direct deposit payment information completed in Workday, and followed the additional instructions in the email, then they should receive their payment quicker. Students were encouraged to review the payment information by Nov. 8 for expediency.

To learn more about these acts and the grants in more detail, visit the two U.S. Department of Education links below:

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/caresact.html

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerf18004a1cfaq-crrsaadisc.pdf

If you have not received your payment by Nov. 16 and have gone through all steps outlined in the email, contact enrollment services at enroll@furman.edu as soon as possible.