Texas Border Business
McAllen, TX – Many South Texas College students whose lives were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can now apply for federal emergency aid relief.
STC will distribute over $10 million in federal funds to eligible students from the United States Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act grant, recently awarded to the College.
“We are so proud of our students for hanging in there with us as we made the transition to online courses,” said Matthew Hebbard, Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
“Our students are dealing with job losses and very difficult hardships. They are balancing economic stresses, the needs of their families, and keeping up with their assignments. We are so grateful that we can give them direct financial help,” Hebbard said.
An application is now available to students. Students should check their student email and the College website for information on how to apply. The application must be submitted online, as campus services are very limited and by appointment only. Students who have questions can email stccares@southtexascollege.edu for assistance.
“It’s been a fast-moving process,” Hebbard said. “We were extremely excited about the initial announcement, but we needed more federal guidance on how to distribute the funds. Many institutions in Texas and in the nation had a lot of questions and the Department of Education provided further clarification on a number of issues,” he added.
Based on federal guidelines, dual credit students and students who were enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020 are not eligible. Further guidelines from the Department of Education clarified that international students, DREAMers, and DACA recipients are not eligible for CARES Act emergency grants.
“We truly want to help all of our students as we know this has impacted many and we hope other options become available students who do not qualify,” Hebbard stated.
The maximum aid per student is $500. Students must fill out an application to be considered. A committee will review each application and aid amounts will be based on need. The College will send out the aid checks as quickly as possible directly to students. The funds are grants and do not need to be paid back to the College.
