ARP of 2021
The University of Montana (UM) has received $10,954,849 in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which provides direct aid to students in the form of grants to help ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ARP grants are intended to help students with the following types of expenses:
- Tuition and fees (including student account balances owed)
- Housing and food
- Course materials
- Technology related costs
- Health care
- Transportation
- Childcare expenses
Per the ARP, in its awarding of emergency grants to students, UM should prioritize students with exceptional financial need, such as students who are eligible to receive Pell Grants. UM has done this by utilizing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the 2021-2022 FAFSA (please see the definitions of need used for awarding in the “How much will I receive” section below).
As of 9/2/2022 UM has awarded the following amounts in the ARP-HEERF3 Fund:
- $674,940 was awarded for Summer 2021. Please review the CRRSAA HEERF2 webpage for details on the methodology used for awarding these funds.
- $4,850,975 was awarded for Fall 2021 for students enrolled as of 10/18/2021. Criteria are listed below.
- $4,573,038 was awarded for Spring of 2022 for students enrolled as of 7/12/22. Criteria are listed below.
- $675,075 was awarded for Summer of 2022 for students enrolled as of 9/2/22. Criteria are listed below.
- $180,821 of the allocation remains.
There is no application. All eligible UM students will automatically receive a grant.
ARP grants will be issued in the form of a direct deposit, or check sent to a student's current mailing address on file Cyberbear. For faster payment processing, students are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit in Cyberbear. Students should also review and update their mailing address in Cyberbear to help ensure checks are delivered to the correct mailing address.
You may be eligible for an ARP grant if you are currently enrolled, have an active US mailing address on file with UM, and have completed the registration payment process at UM by the following dates for each term:
- Fall 2021 term by October 18, 2021 or November 15, 2021.
- Spring 2022 term by March 21, 2022.
Students with an account balance who meet the U.S. Department of Education’s eligibility guidelines will receive a ARP grant. The ARP grant can be applied towards a student’s account balance if they would like. After receiving a ARP grant, a student may make a payment to their student account through Cyberbear, in person or over the phone (406-243-2223) with the Student Accounts Office. Any outstanding balance owed to UM remains the responsibility of the student.
ARP grants were awarded as follows:
|
|
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the 2021-2022 FAFSA |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring 2022 Enrolled Credits as of 03.21.22 |
0 – 10,000 |
10,001 – 15,000 |
15,001 – 20,000 |
20,001 – 25,000 |
>25,000 or no 2122 FAFSA |
1 to 2 credits |
$250 |
$150 |
$75 |
$50 |
$25 |
3 to 5 credits |
$450 |
$250 |
$150 |
$75 |
$50 |
6 to 8 credits |
$650 |
$450 |
$250 |
$150 |
$75 |
9 to 11 credits |
$850 |
$650 |
$450 |
$250 |
$150 |
12 or more credits |
$1,000 |
$850 |
$650 |
$450 |
$250 |
High Level of Financial Need:
- undergraduate and graduate students with a Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 - $10,000 according to the student’s current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
Medium Level of Financial Need:
- undergraduate and graduate students with a Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $10,001 - $15,000 according to the student’s current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
Moderate Level of Financial Need:
- undergraduate and graduate students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $15,001 - $20,000 according to the student’s current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
Low Level of Financial Need:
- undergraduate and graduate students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $20,001 - $25,000 according to the student’s current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
Lowest Level of Financial Need:
- undergraduate and graduate students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of more than $25,000 according to the student’s current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
- undergraduate and graduate students without an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) according to the student’s current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
- undergraduate and graduate students without a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university.
All students receiving an ARP grant will be emailed at their UM student email address to notify them when grant has been disbursed and refunded.
All students receiving an ARP grant will be emailed at their UM student email address to notify them when grant has been disbursed and refunded.
FAQs
The American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARP) is federal legislation that was signed into law March 11, 2021. It provides a variety of emergency financial support to individuals and organizations affected by the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic. The ARP includes a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF3) that provides more than $39.6 billion in emergency funding to institutions of higher education.
The University of Montana received a total allocation of $21,774,106 from the ARP, of that $10,954,849 is allotted for student emergency grants and the remaining $10,819,257 was awarded for institutional relief.
No, ARP grants do not need to be repaid.
No, ARP grants will not impact other financial aid. This is a special grant to help you manage unexpected expenses related to the coronavirus and continue your education despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will not affect other financial aid you may be eligible to receive.
No, these funds are considered emergency relief and therefore are not taxable.
Questions?
Please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@umontana.edu with any questions about ARP funding.
If you have questions about your refund status, please contact the Student Accounts Office at 406-243-2223.