By Carin Holmes, News Editor
And Kaitlyn Resline, Contributing Writer
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes funds allotted for universities to distribute at their discretion. The funds allotted to KU from ARPA were awarded to students based on financial need and impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
BankMobile disbursements distributed the refunds to KU students. If students do not have their preferred refund method on file, it could cause a delay receiving refunds.
The amount of money provided to each student in a mass distribution like this is determined by information from FAFSA, such as expected family contribution, said Susan Mangold, assistant dean of students and chair of the KU Cares Team.
Credit: Vincent Lattanzi
Student Accounts and Financial Aid Services sent an email to recipients of the funds suggesting possible uses for these refunds. These suggestions included paying bills on MyKU, paying for items necessary for academic success like course materials or technology, paying part of a student loan or saving the funds for future semesters.
“Since ARPA was released this year for our students, they’ve been able to use it for tuition, food, housing, textbooks and art supplies,” said Mangold.
The ARPA funds being distributed assist students who are facing financial insecurities, providing students with financial assistance for the need they may have. The funds are only available to students who can demonstrate that their need for funds is related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For students who are in need of emergency financial assistance that is not related to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are limited funds available for qualifying students, according to Mangold.
Students looking to apply for funds through ARPA can still apply here.