Penn State will award $10 million in COVID-19 relief grants to students this summer to help cover emergency expenses caused by the pandemic.

These grants are part of $76.2 million allocated to Penn State for student emergency aid from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). It’s authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) that became law in March 2021.

The university is planning to award the remaining funds to students during the 2021-22 school year. According to the U.S. Department of Education, universities have one year to distribute ARP funds to students, setting a deadline for May 2022.

Penn State will disperse summer 2021 grants in two rounds. In the first, the university will award grants up to $1,000 each to more than 8,000 summer session students who have “exceptional financial need.”

The second round will be application-based to support students in need who didn’t file for federal aid or qualify in the initial round. All students are eligible to apply regardless of citizenship status, though they must be enrolled during the summer 2021 semester.

Students who qualify for a first-round grant will soon receive their award notification via their Penn State email from the Office Student Aid. Students can choose if they would like the grant to be refunded directly, applied as an outstanding balance on their student account, or a combination of both.

Penn State previously awarded $27.5 million in student emergency grants in 2020 from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The university received an additional $27.5 million in relief grants from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).