On March 27, 2020, President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law, allowing colleges and universities to apply for funds to assist students whose “education was disrupted” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Multnomah University was informed it was eligible to receive $433,018 in funds, disbursed in two rounds, of which at least 50% is to be used for direct financial assistance to students. The university applied for the first round of funding on April 14, 2020, and was awarded $216,509 on April 23, 2020.
To be eligible for CARES Act funding, a student must demonstrate that his or her education was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the terms of the law, any student who was enrolled in a fully online program of study is ineligible for an award. In addition, a student must meet eligibility requirements for federal aid, therefore, undocumented, international students, and those who are in the United States under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are ineligible. Students who have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have met eligibility requirements will be considered for funding. Students who did not complete a FAFSA, but could be eligible, will be provided a separate application to complete and return to the Multnomah University Financial Aid Office for funding determination.
To be eligible for funding through the CARES Act, a student must meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled at the time the national emergency was declared on March 13, 2020
Meet eligibility for federal financial aid - Be enrolled in an on-campus program in which all credits are not online
- Be enrolled in an eligible degree-seeking program of study
- Be pursuing enough credits for which a student could be eligible for federal financial aid; for undergraduate students, at least 3 credits; for graduate and seminary students, at least 4 credits
CARES Act awards will be based on the following scale:
| EFC range | Undergraduate | Grad/Seminary | Non-FAFSA filer |
| 0-5576 | $1200 | ||
| 5577-19999 | $600 | ||
| 20000 and above | $300 | ||
| Any or no EFC | $250 | $250 |
As of October 5, 2020, all funds through the CARES Act have been awarded to 317 eligible students. If you have COVID-related expenses that exceed the amount of your award, please complete the application and return it with all supporting documents to the Financial Aid Office at finaid@multnomah.edu.