The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) announced last week by Spoon River College that would provide emergency funds to students enrolled in the 2021 fall semester has now been expanded to include the 2021 summer semester.  Summer classes begin June 7, and fall classes begin August 23.

The amount of funding students receive will be based on registered hours. Summer disbursements will be $250 for 3-5 credit hours, $500 for 6-8 credit hours, and $750 for 9 or more credit hours. Award amounts will be calculated for Summer 2021 at the end of the business day on June 14, and will be applied to student accounts after that date.

Fall disbursements will be $500 for 6-11 credit hours, $1,000 for 12-14 credit hours, and $1500 for 15 or more credit hours. Award amounts will be calculated for Fall 2021 at the end of the business day on September 3, and will be applied to student accounts after that date.

HEERF II funds are are in addition to financial aid, scholarships, or other external funding sources, and are available until funding is exhausted.

High school students taking dual credit courses at the high school are eligible for $25 per credit hour and must complete the Dual Credit HEERF II application. High school students taking at least six (6) credits of dual credit courses online or on campus at SRC are eligible for the $500 incentive and must complete the College HEERF II application.

To be eligible, a student must be a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident, or an eligible non-citizen, complete and have on file at SRC the 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA), and complete the appropriate HEERF II application. There are separate application forms for the Summer 2021 and Fall 2021 disbursements, as well as separate forms for dual credit students depending on the classes they are taking. High school dual credit students do not need to complete a FAFSA.

The applications can be accessed at https://www.src.edu/freemoney.

Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis to ensure students meet eligibility requirements, and will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students will be notified of the HEERF II award through MySRC email. Students may apply one time for the summer semester and one time for the fall semester.

HEERF II funds do not have to be reported as income when filing a FAFSA, and are not considered financial aid when calculating financial aid and award eligibility. All awards must adhere to the federal statutory and regulatory requirements. The federal tax treatment of these funds is still uncertain, and information will be updated on the SRC website as it becomes available.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. In total, the CRRSAA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion expeditiously provided last spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136.

For more information or to register for classes, email advisor@src.edu or call 1-800-DEGREES.