The University of Texas Permian Basin is providing more than $1 million dollars for students who endured hardships due to COVID in an effort to help them get back into school. In addition, there are still significant dollars available for all students in the form of grants and other aid.
Recently, UTPB received more than $1 million in additional federal funding to assist students with outstanding balances and help them re-enroll to finish their degrees, a news release said. The HEERF III Funds (Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund) are COVID relief dollars and can help students who were enrolled as far back as spring 2020.
“We hope this money allows students who had to drop out of school, for whatever reason but certainly because of COVID, to come back and finish their degrees,” UTPB President Dr. Sandra Woodley said in the release. “By wiping away hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition bills, this boost can allow students to focus on what’s important. We know earning a degree can be life changing. In addition to this debt forgiveness, we also have additional grants that make college more affordable than ever. Now is the time to enroll at UT Permian Basin and start preparing for the future you deserve.”
The university is working to help all students, including those who are not currently enrolled, but especially seniors who might only need a few classes to finish out their degree. These funds will be automatically applied to student balances by the end of the week. A breakdown of what eligible students will receive follows:
- Seniors will receive up to $4,000.
- Juniors will receive up to $1,500.
- Sophomores will receive up to $1,000.
- Freshmen will receive up to $500.
- Graduate students will receive up to $2,000.
Understanding how much money you’ll receive is easy. Students should either look at their online portal to see how much funding has been credited to their accounts and/or email [email protected] to receive guidance on re-enrolling.
Students can also expect to receive text messages and phone calls from the Student Success team to explain this opportunity and help them re-enroll.
In addition to this program, the COVID-19 Emergency Fund and the Student Emergency Fund provides assistance to all currently enrolled students who are experiencing a sudden emergency, accident, or unforeseen event that requires support so they can stay enrolled and focus on their academic careers. You can learn more about emergency fund programs at tinyurl.com/57vtxs69.
For more information, contact the Office of Student Success at (432) 552-3835.
