Penn State will award another $17.35 million in COVID-19 relief grants to students this spring n order to help cover any emergency expenses caused by the pandemic.

The grants are a part of the $76.2 million provided to Penn State by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency financial aid for students. The relief fund was authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) in 2021.

This spring’s grants will be the last round of awards from the money that was allocated. More than 36,000 students received these grants during the summer and fall 2021 semesters.

Like previous semesters’ COVID-19 relief grants, Penn State will disperse spring grants in two rounds. The first round will award up to $850 in grants to students who demonstrate “exceptional financial need.”

The second round will be an application-based award. All students are eligible, including those who did not qualify for the first round or those who did not file for federal aid.

Soon, students who qualified for first round grants will receive an email detailing their award via their Penn State email from the Office of Student Aid. Students have the option of having the grant refunded directly, applied to an outstanding balance on their account, or a combination of both.

In the past, Penn State awarded almost $114 million in Covid-19 relief grants to students from ARP grants, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) grants, and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grants.