Coronavirus (COVID-19) - 6 May 2020

6 May 2020
COVID-19 Advisory 22.0

Earlier this spring, Congress passed the CARES Act to provide assistance to individuals and families impacted adversely by the COVID-19 emergency. One purpose of the money is to help college and university students whose lives were disrupted by the closure of campus operations. The role of Aurora University is to distribute emergency cash grants to students according to the terms set forth by the federal Department of Education.

The university’s role in this process is largely administrative. In this sense, AU is the conduit through which the federal dollars flow. Distribution decisions were made in accordance with guidelines for existing federal financial aid programs such as the Pell Grant Program. The law explicitly excluded online students, reasoning that their educational experiences were not disrupted by the virus.

No application or other action is required; however, you must have a current FAFSA on file to be considered for an emergency grant. If you do not have a current FAFSA on file for the 2019-20 academic year and would like to be considered for an emergency grant, please complete your FAFSA form here (AU School Code: 001634) or contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@aurora.edu or 630-844-6190 for assistance.

Students eligible for emergency grants will be notified via their Aurora University email accounts in the next 5-10 business days.

If you have any additional questions, please contact Sharon Maxwell, vice president for finance, at smaxwell@aurora.edu or 630-844-5630.