The CARES Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020, to provide economic relief for students due to COVID-19. The Act establishes the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund for schools to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. Each institution has significant discretion on how to award this emergency assistance to students. The only statutory requirement is that eligible students must use the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.
