CARES Act

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act includes a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) that provides emergency funding to higher education. A portion of these funds have been set aside for students who have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The funds are meant to help pay bills, obtain food, and provide for your families during these difficult times.

Students must meet Title IV eligibility requirements in order to receive HEERF emergency funds. Durham Tech must verify that the student is Title IV eligible before funds can be disbursed. The criteria to receive the emergency funds include but are not limited to the following: US citizenship or eligible non-citizenship; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male), and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting; enrolled in a degree or certificate program; and making satisfactory academic progress.

Note: CARES Act grants are not taxable. See the IRS website for more information.

View the Fund Report

Eligibility Requirements

Per the recent Department of Education guidance, the CARES Act emergency assistance fund application is open to students at Durham Tech who attended classes on or after March 13, 2020.

 To be eligible for a grant, students must meet ALL of the following qualifications:

  • Be enrolled at Durham Tech in a Mini Session 2 and/or 16-week course(s) in the Spring of 2020 on or after March 13, 2020.
  • Have a 2019-2020 FAFSA, including Durham Tech’s school code, received and processed by the Financial Aid Office. We encourage all students, regardless of Financial Aid status, to apply and submit a FAFSA. Eligibility for a Pell grant is not required in determining eligibility for a CARES Act grant. If you think you may meet the eligibility criteria, please apply.
  • Have a high school diploma, GED or other High School Equivalency, Associate Degree, or higher degree recognized by Durham Tech.
  • Be enrolled in the Spring 2020 term in a Financial Aid Eligible Program.
  • Males must have registered for the selective service or verify that they were not required to register.
  • Have one or more of the following residency statuses:
    • U.S. Citizen
    • U.S. permanent resident, with a Permanent Resident Card (formerly known as an Alien Registration Receipt Card or "Green Card”)
    • Conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
    • Other eligible noncitizen with an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations: “Refugee,” “Asylum Granted,” “Indefinite Parole,” “Humanitarian Parole,” or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant”
    • Citizen of the Republic of Palau (PW), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (MH), or the Federated States of Micronesia (FM).

Based on guidance from the Department of Education, the following students are not eligible to receive funding under the CARES Act:

  • Students who have unsatisfied overpayments AND loan default status on previous Federal Student Aid.
  • Students who are not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress status.
  • Students who have been asked by Financial Aid staff to complete identity procedures and have not completed this step.
  • Students who have been convicted of a drug-related offense while receiving Financial Aid.

WARNING: Purposefully giving false or misleading information may result in a fine, being sent to prison, or both.

Phase 1 of the CARES Grant was available for application until August 31,2020. Information about phase 2 of the CARES grant will be emailed to eligible students soon.