By Amanda Taylor

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – To continue the financial support for UTRGV students during the COVID-19 pandemic, the university has added a Spring Relief Package for 2021 that includes $500 Cash Grants or UTRGV Tuition Relief in the amount of $250 for those who do not qualify for the CARES Act.

For eligibility, all students must have completed a 2020-2021 FAFSA on file.

CASH GRANTS

For Spring 2021, eligible enrolled UTRGV students will receive $500 in Cash Grants distributed in two $250 amounts. The first $250 payment will be distributed before the start of the Spring semester and the other $250 payment will be distributed during the week of Feb. 1.

To be eligible for $500 Cash Grants, students: 

• Must be continuing undergraduate or graduate students who did not graduate from high school in or after May 2020.
• Must not be enrolled in fully online programs.
• Must complete all financial aid requirements by Friday, Dec. 18, 2020.

To be eligible, all students must meet certain financial aid eligibility requirements – such as demonstrating satisfactory academic progress, not being in default on a student loan, and other similar eligibility requirements.

There is no minimum to enrollment requirement. Medical students and international students are not eligible.

UTRGV TUITION RELIEF

UTRGV students eligible for Tuition Relief will receive up to $250 applied toward tuition (not fees) after current Federal and State aid (Pell Grant, Texas Grant), scholarships and other gift aid applied. Tuition relief will be posted directly to the student’s account. 

To be eligible for $250 UTRGV Tuition Relief, students:

• Must have graduated high school in or after May 2020.
• Must be enrolled in fully online programs and must have good academic standing.
• Must be enrolled by Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, for the required number of hours: 12 or more for undergraduate students and nine or more for graduate students.

This program is not funded through the CARES Act funds. International students, medical students, students who do not meet certain financial aid eligibility requirements, and Cash Grant recipients are not eligible for UTRGV Tuition Relief.

UTRGV President Guy Bailey restated the university’s commitment to creating a path of opportunities for students. 

“We know how challenging this pandemic has been for the university and the community, and we are proud of the resilience our students have shown in the face of such change,” Bailey said. “We have seen enrollment reach record-high numbers for the summer and fall semesters, which illustrates just how committed our students are to getting an education. 

“In the face of that sort of resolve, we are even more determined to provide them the financial support needed to continue to strive for success. Our students truly are the Future of Texas,” he said. 

More information on the Spring Relief Package, including FAQs, is available here.

CARES ACT FUNDS  

UTRGV continues to implement programs directly benefitting students who have been impacted by disruption to campus operations due to the coronavirus.  These programs are funded with both CARES Act funds from the U.S. Department of Education and UTRGV institutional funds, and of the programs’ total costs, no less than $17,169,129 of CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) will be expended on eligible students through direct grants. The opinion and content of this communication is that of UTRGV and does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education or the federal government.