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 Posts Application Notices for New MSI and SIP Grants
- ED Announced Corrections for SAIHE Eligibility Criteria, Application
- IRS: COVID-19 Emergency Aid Grants to Students Are Not Taxable
- ED: Borrowers With Privately-Held FFEL Loans Will Receive Retroactive Relief
- ED Waives Documentation Requirements for Borrowers With Total and Permanent Disability Discharges
See All NASFAA COVID-19 News Coverage
NASFAA "Off The Cuff" Podcast Episodes
- Episode 188: Previewing Higher Ed Items in White House Budget, HEERF Guidance on the Way, and Latest on Student Debt Forgiveness
- Episode 187: NASFAA Urges Protection of Borrowers in Transition to Repayment and Provides an Update on Borrower Defense
- Episode 186: NASFAA's Welcoming Message to Cardona, COVID Aid Sent to POTUS, and Recent SAIHE Program Comments
See All "Off The Cuff" Episodes
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 both the CARES Act HEERF grants and the newest Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act created HEERF II grants to assist financial aid administrators and other offices on college campuses in making decisions about the distribution of these funds. Check back often as NASFAA will continue to update these reference pages as any new guidance becomes available.
- HEERF-Student Funds Reference Page
- HEERF II Reference Page
- HEERF III Reference Page
- HEERF Comparison Chart (PDF)
- HEERF Reporting Timeline (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.
- Can a Student on SAP Suspension Receive Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds?
- Can HEERF I, HEERF II, or HEERF III Institutional Grant Funds Be Used to Pay a Student's Outstanding Balance?
- Are Emergency FSEOG and Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Grants Reported on IRS Form 1098-T?
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.
- February 5, 2021 - COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: A Recap of the Latest
- January 15, 2021 - Year-End Student Aid Legislation: COVID Relief, Funding, and FAFSA Simplification
- September 30, 2020 - COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: Where Are We Now?
- June 12, 2020 - COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: As it Stands
- May 20, 2020 - COVID-19 and Federal Student Aid: Current Status
Also available on-demand, free to NASFAA members only:
- March 24, 2021 - Coronavirus Response Fraud-Let's Work Together to Stop It!
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
- Availability of Guide for Compliance Attestation Engagements of Proprietary Schools Expending Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grants
- Comment Request; CRRSAA Supplemental Aid to Institutions of Higher Education Application
- Notice of Interpretation Regarding Period of Allowable Expenses for Funds Administered Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEERF) Program
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 Work
- 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 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
- Business Continuity Plans and Teleworking Agreement Samples
- CARES Act Distribution: Results From June 2020 Membership Poll & May 2020 Survey
- CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Timeline
- COVID-19 Emergency Grant Application Samples
- NASFAA Membership CARES Act Survey - May 2020
- NASFAA Survey Results Highlight COVID-19 Impact on Professional Judgment Requests
- P&P Builder Template: Early Implementation of New Regulations
Additional Resources
- Pell Grant Recipients Eligible for Federal Internet Subsidy During Pandemic
- Self-Supporting College Students Can Qualify for Stimulus Checks, IRS Says
- Your Thoughts: We Have to Be More Transparent About the PJ Process
- Survey on Professional Judgment and COVID-19
- Blue Icon Kicks Off Fall 'Let's Talk' Series With Financial Literacy During COVID-19
- New Poll Finds Overwhelming Support for Short-Term Student Debt Relief
- Trump Seeks to Extend Student Loan Relief Via Executive Order
- Higher Education Advocates Call on Congress to Provide Equitable Aid for Community Colleges
- Census Bureau Publishes Updates for Temporarily Closed Schools Due to Coronavirus
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- COVID-19 Resources from NASFAA's Business Partners
- CUPA-HR Provides Resources for Campus Re-Openings
- IRS: Emergency Aid Allocated to College Students Not Considered Taxable Income
- ICE Guidance on New International Students From Online-Only Studies in U.S.
- Lawmakers Urge Student Loan Companies to Provide Relief for Private Student Loan Borrowers
- NASFAA, SchoolHouse Connections Resource Highlights COVID-19 Impact on Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Seeking
- Washington Sues Department of Education Over CARES Act Guidance
- 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: 4/14/2021
