Jacqueline Peraza | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will continue offering aid to qualifying students enrolled in classes before Friday through its Fall Relief Package.
Continuing undergraduate and traditional graduate students may be eligible to receive a $1,000 cash grant for the fall semester. Students will receive the first $500 before the first official day of school, and the other half will be distributed after the 12th day of class, if the student is still enrolled.
Incoming freshmen may be eligible to receive up to $500 of Tuition Relief and will receive a free Zone 1 parking pass.
Eligible full-time online graduate students can receive up to $500 of Tuition Relief.
The Fall Relief Package comes as an extension to the university’s Summer Relief Package. Students who enrolled in Summer I or Summer II courses received up to $1,000 in aid to help cover any remaining tuition and mandatory fees, a free Zone 2 parking pass, $100 in VBucks and UTRGV Swag.
Magdalena “Maggie” Hinojosa, vice president for Strategic Enrollment, said the idea for the Fall Relief Package was approached after seeing what the extra aid did for students during Summer I and Summer II courses.
“Back when … the [COVID-19] situation arose, we realized that we needed to find some alternative solution for students to assist them to go to school, especially in the summer,” Hinojosa said. “In the summer, financial aid is pretty limited. … But we took that approach and decided to see how we could, in turn, move that to the fall with different revenue streams, using some institutional dollars and CARES funds, as well.”
She said students eligible for the cash grant will receive money directly to them. They then have the freedom to choose what they use the money for, unlike the money awarded during summer which was used to cover the remaining tuition balance, up to $1,000.
“It is gonna be an imbursement to you directly,” Hinojosa said. “It is up to you to choose [how you spend the money]. Do you need to go buy a book? … Do you wanna turn around and pay tuition? Do you need to go buy some computer equipment? So, it’s up to you and how you use it.”
Mass communication junior Desirae Santos said she was grateful the university was offering the opportunity, but had heard students who had fully enrolled online before the pandemic would not be eligible for the Fall Relief Package.
“From my understanding, if you signed up for online [classes] before the pandemic, and not in person, you’re not receiving the [$500] or the [$1,000]. To me, I think they should get the [$500] because that doesn’t mean, like, they’re automatically set, like, of course, things can go wrong. Obviously, people … sign up for all-online [courses] for a reason, they have a job, and then working with a pandemic, so that would be difficult for them. Other than that, I think it’s a great thing that they’re doing. It really shows that they care and they’re trying the best they can.”
During a July 29 Facebook Live Q&A, Associate Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Griselda Castilla, said students enrolled in fully-online courses are not eligible to receive the CARES cash grant.
“Students that are eligible for the cash grant are students that did not graduate from high school in or after May 2020, are not international students and are not enrolled in fully online programs,” Castilla said.
According to Castilla, students must enroll by Friday and meet certain financial aid eligibility requirements, such as demonstrating Satisfactory Academic Progress and not being default on a student loan, among others.
There is no minimum credit hour requirement.
Students should begin receiving the first part of the cash grant through direct deposit or mail, some time before the first day of school. Those who are eligible for Tuition Relief should see the amount they are eligible for on their bill.
“I would say, for sure, a week before classes start they should begin to see their cash payment and the Tuition Relief on their bill,” Hinojosa said. “We’re going to try to do it sooner. We’re working really hard to do it sooner. But, for sure, a week before.”
She said an email will be sent out to students receiving Tuition Relief as a reminder to accept the award through ASSIST.
“I think this is an opportunity for students to get some assistance that is not typically available,” Hinojosa said. “We’re gonna do everything we can to help them, but it’s important to meet the deadlines as well.”
For more information about the Fall Relief Package, undergraduate students may contact UCentral at (888) 882-4026 or firstname.lastname@example.org. Graduate students may contact GradCentral at (888) 887-4842 or email@example.com.