Coronavirus (COVID-19) Web Center
This web center was created to keep NASFAA members and the financial aid community updated on pertinent news related to the coronavirus. Check back often as this page is updated daily.
NASFAA Articles & Statements
- ED Outlines Newly Available Resources for Higher Ed Students
- HEERF Annual Report Data Entry Begins April 2022
- Higher Ed Enrollment Sees 5.1% Decline Since Onset of the Pandemic
- Financial Aid Offices Face Turnover and Staffing Shortages as ‘Great Resignation’ Hits Home
- Student Loan Payment Pause Extended Through May 1 Amid COVID-19 Surge
- Lawmakers Press ED Under Secretary on Implementation of Pandemic Aid
See All NASFAA COVID-19 News Coverage
NASFAA Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Reference Pages
Department of Education guidance on the use of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) funds is changing on an almost daily basis. The reference pages linked below provide fast facts and frequently asked questions and answers about HEERF funds. Check back often as NASFAA will continue to update these reference pages as any new guidance becomes available.
- HEERF III (ARP) Reference Page
- HEERF II (CRRSAA) Reference Page
- HEERF I (CARES) Reference Page
- HEERF Comparison Chart (PDF)
- HEERF Reporting Guidelines (PDF)
- HEERF Timeline - October 2020 (PDF)
NASFAA AskRegs Questions & Answers 
While AskRegs is available exclusively to NASFAA members, in an effort to keep the entire higher education community informed in the midst of this pandemic, NASFAA — with the support of grant funding — has made all AskRegs questions and answers related to COVID-19 available to the public. Check back often; new questions get submitted and answered every day.
- Is Emergency Rental Assistance Reported on the FAFSA?
- When Will a School Be Able To Complete Its HEERF Annual Report For the 2021 Calendar Year?
- When Will Loan Repayment Resume?
- How Are Coronavirus-Related Retirement Distributions Reported on the FAFSA?
- When Do the Various Title IV COVID-19 Flexibilities and Waivers End?
Access AskRegs Knowledgebase| AskRegs COVID-19 Questions
Not a NASFAA member? Join now to access the AskRegs Knowledgebase.
NASFAA Webinars
The following webinars also available on-demand, free to NASFAA members and non-members.
- May 21, 2021 - COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: HEERFs
- February 5, 2021 - COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: A Recap of the Latest
- January 15, 2021 - Transcript of January 15 Webinar (PDF)
Also available on-demand, free to NASFAA members only:
- July 20, 2021 - New Findings from an Evaluation of CARES Act Emergency Aid Funding
- May 20, 2021 - Preparing Borrowers and Institutions for the End of the COVID Waivers
- March 24, 2021 - Coronavirus Response Fraud-Let's Work Together to Stop It!
NASFAA "Off The Cuff" Podcast Episodes
- OTC AskRegs Experts: HEERF Updates and Institutional Preparations for the 2022-23 Award Year
- OTC Inside the Beltway: Political Predictions for Higher Ed in 2022
- OTC From the Field: A Conversation With Brent Tener, NASFAA’s National Chair
See All "Off The Cuff" Episodes
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
Several major student aid policy provisions were attached to the fiscal year 2021 Omnibus spending bill, through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, including FAFSA simplification, expanding Pell Grant eligibility to incarcerated students and increasing the maximum award, and the repealing the limitation on lifetime subsidized loan eligibility, known as Subsidized Usage Limit Applies (SULA).
See All NASFAA Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 Coverage
Department of Education & Congressional References
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Actions to Support Students’ Basic Needs and Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 at Colleges and Universities
- COVID-19: What Now and What Next -- 2021 FSA Training Conference Session B04
- Deadline for Schools to Submit Coronavirus Indicator to COD System Extended
- ED Provides Clarification on August 16th Update on PJ Guidance
- ED Reopens Application Window for Proprietary Schools Applying for HEERF Funds
See Previous ED & Congressional References
NASFAA in the News
For an up-to-date list of news articles in which NASFAA spokespeople have been quoted, please visit our NASFAA In the News webpage.
NASFAA Advocacy and Research
- Data Sharing Decision Tree Updated to Include May 2021 ED Guidance
- An Evaluation of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Funding for Postsecondary Institutions
- Call to Action: Your Voice Needed to Increase Higher Education Funding
- June 2020 Infographic Shows NASFAA's Comprehensive Efforts in the Time of COVID-19
NASFAA On the Record
- NASFAA Signs Onto Amicus Brief Refuting Allegations That Colleges Profited From the Pandemic
- NASFAA Joins ACE in Submitting Comments on Proposed HEERF Reporting Requirements
- NASFAA Submits Comments on Revised HEERF Annual Data Collection Form
- NASFAA Submits Comments on Supplemental Aid to Institutions of Higher Education (SAIHE) Program
- NASFAA Urges FCC to Implement Simple Verification Process for Emergency Broadband Program
- NASFAA Urges Congress to Provide Relief for All Federal Student Loan Borrowers
See all NASFAA COVID-19 On the Record letters
NASFAA Members Additional Resources
- 2019-20 COVID-19 National Emergency Self-Evaluation Checklist Available
- Blue Icon Kicks Off Fall 'Let's Talk' Series With Financial Literacy During COVID-19
- Business Continuity Plans and Teleworking Agreement Samples
- CARES Act Distribution: Results From June 2020 Membership Poll & May 2020 Survey
- COVID-19 Emergency Grant Application Samples
- COVID-19 Resources from NASFAA's Business Partners
- NASFAA Membership CARES Act Survey - May 2020
- NASFAA, SchoolHouse Connections Resource Highlights COVID-19 Impact on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Seeking
- NASFAA Survey Results Highlight COVID-19 Impact on Professional Judgment Requests
- P&P Builder Template: Early Implementation of New Regulations
- Survey on Professional Judgment and COVID-19
- Your Thoughts: We Have to Be More Transparent About the PJ Process
Additional Resources
- Advocates Urge Biden to Extend Payment Pause on Student Loans, Citing Economic Uncertainty
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- CUPA-HR Provides Resources for Campus Re-Openings
- FCC Emergency Broadband Program for Pell Grant Recipients
- Guidance Unchanged for International Students and Online Learning
- World Health Organization
This NASFAA COVID-19 Web Center is made possible thanks to the dues paid annually by NASFAA members at nearly 3,000 colleges, universities, and career schools across the country. Not a NASFAA member yet? Join today to gain access to member-only benefits and help fund more content for the financial aid community at nasfaa.org/Join_NASFAA.
Publication Date: 1/24/2022
