Due to the continued COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. Department of Education has allocated additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) under the CARES Act for schools to provide emergency grants to qualifying students in need. Awards from this program do not require repayment. Additionally, through the generous donations made by TUSDM alumni, an institutional emergency fund has been established to assist students that may not qualify for the HEERF grant.
Funds must be used for unexpected COVID-19-related expenses incurred by the student while they have been enrolled in school. A list of qualifying expenses is available on the application web page.
Eligibility Requirements
- Any student enrolled in a Tufts degree program or a financial aid eligible certificate program may request funding.
- Financial aid recipients will receive high priority for funding, and student with exceptional need will receive the highest priority.
- Students who do not receive financial aid may apply but will be given lower priority and may not be eligible for an award. These students may be required to provide additional information regarding their need for funding.
Tufts students who previously received HEERF grants through the CARES Act can apply for additional funding.
Applying for emergency funds is simple and open to all undergraduate, graduate, and health professions students enrolled at Tufts. Please submit only one application. Applications will not be reviewed until after the application period has ended.
The Award Amount range for independent students (graduate/professional students are considered independent by federal definition) is $100-$4,000. Awards will be based on financial need as determined by the student’s financial aid application if available, the student’s cost of attendance (as defined by the school), and additional factors used at the discretion of each school committee. The award amounts will be adjusted based on the relative need of all applicants, the number of applicants, and the availability of funds. Many students will receive awards that are less than the maximum amount.
The application site will be open from September 10, 2021, through October 1, 2021. No applications will be considered after October 1.
Requests for funding may be submitted using the link below. Applications will be reviewed by the TUSDM COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund Review Committee. Upon approval, the funds will be disbursed to the student’s account through the Bursar’s Office and refunded to the student. Students can expect to receive notification of their award eligibility on or around November 1.
Please email DentalEmergencyGrantFund@tufts.edu if you have additional questions.