Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the University of Oklahoma was awarded funds to help students dealing with financial hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds will be available through CARES Act Emergency Grants.
The CARES Act application for emergency funds has closed and no new applications are being accepted. The University will distribute any remaining CARES Act emergency financial aid grant funds directly to eligible applicants. Final disbursements are presently being calculated.
The University of Oklahoma has emergency grants available to help with student expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses.
These funds are meant to assist eligible students with expenses incurred after March 13, 2020. Because these are grant funds, they are not added to any student loan amounts a student may have.
These student grants are available to undergraduate, graduate, law, and professional students on all OU’s campuses.
The CARES Act application for emergency funds has closed and no new applications are being accepted.
Below are specific CARES Act requirements:
Currently enrolled undergraduate, graduate, law, and professional students on all OU’s campuses.
Must be either an eligible U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen who is eligible for Title IV funding.
Students who have or can demonstrate financial need or hardship caused by or because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students who submit a FAFSA for the 2019-2020 school year and who are eligible for Title IV funding.
Students who are in good academic standing and enrolled in at least one non-online course.
Students who are not in default on a federal student loan.
Students who have completed a CARES Act Emergency Grant Application.
* OU has also set aside university donor funds through Sooners Helping Sooners to assist with this emergency for students who may not qualify for funds through the CARES Act.
Student grants are available to aid students who are struggling with living expenses or facing other unexpected financial challenges related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, including expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.
In accordance with the CARES Act, granted funds must go directly to students. For the quickest delivery, direct deposit is the preferred method for students to receive funds. Students who do not have direct deposit can still receive funds and will be mailed a check to their home billing address, which can take up to six weeks after awarding.
Students who are not signed up for direct deposit or eRefunds, but would like to, can sign up by following the link associated with their program.
Norman Campus Programs eRefunds Information | one.ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma is following the guidance of the Department of Education regarding distribution of the CARES Act funds available for emergency financial grants. OU will continue to monitor the guidance and make any adjustments needed to meet federal guidance.
The committee is working to review and process all applications as quickly as possible. Please allow one to two weeks for a response. Watch for an email indicating your application status.
The committee is working to review and process all applications as quickly as possible. Please allow one to two weeks for a response. Watch for an email indicating your application status.
You can reapply; however, you will only be funded for each individual expense one time.
Unfortunately, international students are not eligible for CARES Act funding. Students who do not qualify for CARES Act funding are encouraged to apply for the Sooners Helping Sooners assistance.
CARES Act funding is specifically for student expenses incurred due to COVID-19. We encourage you to contact the Student Financial Center at sfc@ou.edu or 405-325-9000 to discuss options when a parent has lost income due to the pandemic.
We encourage all students who have expenses related to COVID-19 to complete the application. Students who do not qualify for CARES Act funding will be considered for the Sooners Helping Sooners assistance.
The University of Oklahoma is following the guidance of the Department of Education regarding distribution of the CARES Act funds available for emergency financial grants. OU will continue to monitor the guidance and make any adjustments needed to meet federal guidance.
Students who do not qualify for CARES Act funding are encouraged to apply for the Sooners Helping Sooners assistance.
If your student ID number was listed correctly on the application, this should not be an issue.
Even if you have already completed the Sooners Helping Sooners application for the spring semester, we ask that you apply for CARES Act emergency funds if you believe you’re eligible.
No. You can share the details of your application with your parent, but they will not have access to the information through their authorized user portal.
Students who do not receive a CARES Act Emergency Grant will be encouraged to complete the Sooners Helping Sooners application.
The University of Oklahoma will continue to award available student grants through the summer. Students who have or can continue to demonstrate a financial need or hardship caused by or because of the COVID-19 pandemic can apply for additional funds. Please note there is no deadline to submit; however, funds are limited and will be awarded in the order qualifying applications are received. If a student needs to submit a subsequent application for additional funds, each application should include cumulative totals of all COVID-19 related expenses to date.
Financial caps are set for each allowable expense, however, as new expenses arise related to COVID-19 and if you believe you are eligible, we encourage you to reapply for CARES Act emergency funding. Students will continue to be considered for assistance as funds are available.
Yes, student-athletes may be eligible for CARES Act funding for COVID-related expenses. If you have questions about aid eligibility, please contact smuret@ou.edu.
You can reapply; however, you will only be funded for each individual expense one time.
Please check your 1920 FAN in your One account in the coming days to see the amount you’ve been awarded. The eRefund will be processed soon after.
Even if you have already completed the Sooners Helping Sooners application for the spring semester, we ask that you apply for CARES Act emergency funds, if you believe you’re eligible.
Tulsa students enrolled in Norman based programs should contact the Student Financial Center at sfc@ou.edu or (405) 325-9000.
Students enrolled in Health Sciences Center based programs should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at financiala@ouhsc.edu or (405) 271-2118.
Norman Campus Programs:
Student Financial Center
(405) 325-9000
sfc@ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma returned to the Department of Education the executed “Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act” on April 13, 2020. The University received notice on April 20, 2020 that it had received an award of $8,967,765.00. This amount represents fifty percent of the total funds to be received by the University under Section 18004(a)(1) and will be used by the University to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
After verifying student Title IV eligibility and establishing effective means for distribution, the University advised students of the availability of the grants on May 8, 2020. Comprehensive information concerning the CARES Emergency Assistance Grants is available at: www.ou.edu/sfc/covid-19/cares-act. As of September 4, 2020, the University had distributed emergency financial aid grants totaling $8,967,765 to 6,216 students. 17,964 students at the institution were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
The University of Oklahoma made an application available to apply for CARES Emergency Grants to help with student expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses.
These funds are meant to assist eligible students with expenses incurred after March 13, 2020. Because these are grant funds, they are not added to any student loan amounts a student may have.
These student grants are available to undergraduate, graduate, law, and professional students on all OU’s campuses.
The University requested students to apply for the CARES Emergency Assistance Grants, providing the necessary evidence of eligibility and the amount requested (maximum $2,600). A designated website was created (www.ou.edu/sfc/covid-19/cares-act) to centralize information related to eligibility, the application link, and FAQ. A committee of University representatives from the offices of Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Finance and Administration, Legal Counsel and Internal Auditing from both the OU Norman and OU Health Sciences Center created the awarding structure and process for the CARES awards to include a centralized application for both campuses. Student Financial Aid staff reviewed the applications to ensure eligibility and that the requested grants are for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. Financial Aid loads the awards into their student system and passes the amount to the Bursar’s office, which then issues check payment to the student. Students are directly contacted by email regarding ineligibility, application errors, and approved applications. If additional information is needed, the committee contacts the student to obtain the necessary information. Application review takes place on a regular and ongoing basis each business day.
Institutional Reporting (pdf) - 9/30/2020
Institutional Reporting (pdf) - 12/31/2020
Institutional Reporting (pdf) - 3/31/2021
Updated 2/24/2022
Updated 7/1/2021
Updated 6/24/2021
Updated 4/23/2021
Updated 1/4/2021
