Federal CARES Act

The University of Pittsburgh has received its CARES Act funding from the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $10.6 million. These funds provide direct emergency assistance for Pitt students. Pitt's goal is to assist students with the greatest need, in accordance with federal guidelines. These students include:

Undergraduate students who received a Spring 2020 Federal Pell Grant;
Undergraduate students who did not receive a Spring 2020 Federal Pell Grant and who had unmet financial need;
Graduate students who received a federal loan for spring term 2020 and who had unmet financial need;
Graduate students whose summer stipend has been impacted
(as verified by the Office of the Provost – Graduate Studies);
Displaced student employees of Pitt's food service providers; and
Resident Assistants who lost meal plan access

Frequently Asked Questions

How many students will receive CARES Act grants, and how much will they receive?: Approximately 11,000 students—on all five Pitt campuses—are receiving these grants. The amount varies depending on the student's situation, but most students will receive amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000. Students will be notified of the exact amount in their PittPAY account under the spring 2020 activity tab.
Is it possible for a student to receive more than one grant?: Yes. For example, if an undergraduate student is both a Pell Grant recipient and was furloughed from a campus dining service by a third-party dining service operated at the Pittsburgh campus, that individual would receive two CARES grants posted to the student account.

Graduate students will receive one CARES grant either because they borrowed a federal Direct Loan for spring term OR if they didn’t borrow but will not receive a stipend an expected stipend for summer term.
Will students who just graduated receive assistance?: Students who were enrolled during spring term were considered if they met the criteria detailed above.
How quickly can students receive their CARES grant funds?: Students who have registered for PittPAY eRefunds will receive the money directly in their bank account on file within 2-3 days. Students who have not registered for PittPAY eRefunds will receive a check at their home address on file within 10-14 days.
What about students who were not eligible for financial aid previously, but due to COVID-related job losses now qualify for aid?: The U.S. Department of Education has established criteria for distribution that rely heavily on the student having filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who did not fall into any of the above categories for eligibility and/or are not eligible for CARES Act grants should apply for aid for the future. Students can reach out to a financial aid counselor to learn more about the application process. These students are eligible to apply for other funding, described in the FAQ below.
Is other financial support available to students at this time?: Pitt is supporting students in need of financial aid relief in other ways. All students, regardless of CARES grant eligibility, are able to apply for emergency assistance.

Bradford Campus
Greensburg Campus
Johnstown Campus
Pittsburgh Campus
Titusville Campus
How is unmet financial need defined for CARES Act Grant eligibility?: Unmet need is any amount left over from the federally defined cost of attendance minus the expected family contribution (EFC) and all financial aid, including loans, that has been awarded to the student.

Key Facts Regarding Federal CARES Act Grants

The University acknowledges that it has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the Department of Education and has used no less than 50 percent of the funds received to date under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Total CARES Act funds for students received: $10,720,269
Total federal CARES Act funds for students awarded: $10,720,269
Number of students eligible to participate in Title IV: 20,765
Number of Pitt students who received federal CARES Act grants: 11,538

Included in the above amounts is $10.6 million in federal COVID-19 relief received in April 2020, which provided direct grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1).

Also included in the above amounts is $87,599 received in November 2020 under Section 18004(a)(2) of the CARES Act as a result of the University being a minority-serving institution. Pitt's goal with these funds is to assist minority students with the greatest need, in accordance with federal guidelines. The grant recipients:

Have ongoing financial need that was not previously supported by a CARES Grant during the 2019-20 academic year or a Pell grant during the 2020-21 academic year;
Are eligible for Federal Title IV Student Aid at time of disbursement and meet federal Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements;
Are enrolled full-time in the fall 2020 semester as of 11/6/2020; and
Accepted federal loans during the 2020-21 aid year.

Pitt also received a tranche of funding in May of $10.6 million from the federal COVID-19 relief bill designated to offset the University’s institutional costs related to the pandemic. These funds were applied by the University to expenses related to refunds granted to students for mandated early departure during spring term 2020 as well as technology investments to support the Flex@Pitt education model.

Grant Distribution & eRefunds

CARES grants will be posted to student accounts and immediately refunded to a student's PittPAY eRefund account. Students should confirm they are currently enrolled in PittPAY eRefunds with an active bank account on file. CARES grants and the refund transaction will appear on PittPAY on the Account Activity tab for spring term 2020.

CARES grant funds will be sent to the student's PittPAY eRefund bank account, not to any Authorized Users' eRefund accounts. If it is necessary to update banking information, students will receive an email from PittPAY when the update has been successfully made.

Funds will be deposited directly into the PittPAY eRefund bank account 2-3 days after the refund transaction appears on the student account. Students will receive an email from PittPAY when the funds have been sent to their bank. This is the fastest way to receive a refund.