Frequently Asked Questions

Under the CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Education has allocated $5.8 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to Northeastern University to provide emergency grants directly to students. The emergency grants will assist students “to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including eligible expenses under a student’s Cost of Attendance (COA), such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.”

Eligible expenses include but are not limited to:

• Rent/utilities for vacated off-campus housing
• Emergency or temporary housing
• Expenses incurred to travel home or move belongings
• Storage expenses, if the student was unable to use university-provided storage
• Purchase of technology for distance learning (computers, software, internet, etc.)
• Study abroad costs related to cancelled or suspended programs, including unused supplies and Visa/Passport fees
• Food and living expenses for students who have exceptional need or have lost student employment or co-op wages
• Unanticipated childcare expenses related to distance learning
• Health care costs if the student is unable to use NUSHP because they are now out of network

The U.S. Department of Education has determined that students who were enrolled during the pandemic may apply for emergency relief funds under the CARES Act, with the exception of the following groups:

• International students
• Students protected under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
• Students enrolled exclusively in online programs as of March 13, 2020
• Students enrolled in certificate programs

Please fill out a brief online application to apply for emergency funds. The application will be open until May 28, 2020. The application will ask for a short description of the expenses you have incurred from campus disruptions and the amount requested to cover these expenses. Please note, for most expenses, you will be required to include supporting documentation, which can be uploaded directly into the online application.

To confirm your eligibility, we recommend that you complete a 2019-2020 FAFSA, if you have not done so already, prior to submitting your CARES Grant application. Please be sure to add Northeastern to your FAFSA using the school code 002199.

Grants may range from $50 up to the federally recommended maximum award of $6,195. Please note, in order to assist as many students as possible with a limited fund, the university has instituted a limit on the amount of CARES Grant funding that students may receive for each type of incurred expense.

The CARES Grant application will close on May 28, 2020. Applications will be reviewed in the order that they are received until emergency funds are exhausted.

Students are strongly encouraged to set up Direct Deposit to expedite the receipt of funds. Please follow these instructions for setting up Direct Deposit. If you are unable to set up Direct Deposit, please review and update your permanent address via Student Hub using the “Resources” link, and then select ‘Miscellaneous’. You’ll then select the option for ‘Change Address’ to ensure that a check can be mailed to your current address.

Once the funds disburse to your student account, they will automatically transfer to your bank account via Direct Deposit, or a check will be mailed to your permanent address on file at Northeastern if you have not set up Direct Deposit. Once you have received the funds, you can make a payment for billed charges if you so choose.

Yes. This fund is intended to go to students who need it most, including those who do not have the funds up front to cover expenses. The university may request documentation for future expenses, such as flights and rent, as part of your application.

Students who have applied for emergency funds but have not been approved, will receive a notice indicating the reason for the denial of their individual CARES Grant application. Please note, under U.S. Department of Education rules for the program, students who are not eligible for federal financial aid programs are not eligible for emergency assistance. Additionally, not all incurred expenses are eligible for emergency assistance. In order to support the financial well-being of as many students as possible with a limited fund, additional factors that may affect your eligibility include other financial support you may be receiving, including room and board refunds, stipends for living expenses, and/or anticipated credit balances.

The university is sensitive to unanticipated expenses that students may have incurred as a result of COVID-19. In order to assist as many students as possible in providing CARES Grant funding, the university has established eligibility criteria. Factors that may affect your CARES Grant eligibility include room and board refunds and other financial assistance you may be receiving as well as university-instituted limits on the amount of CARES Grant funding students may receive per eligible expense.

We understand that your CARES Grant may not meet the full extent of the financial support you require. If you are a financial aid applicant who is experiencing financial hardships as a result of COVID-19, we encourage you to review Northeastern’s Change in Financial Circumstance Policy.

Students with inquiries should contact [email protected].