Former UC Riverside students now have the opportunity to re-enroll and continue their education.
Students who stopped enrolling in classes during the 2020-21 school year for COVID-19 related reasons may be eligible to receive financial assistance via Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds, or HEERF.
In 2021, UCR received a $188,020 HEERF grant to reengage students who faced many challenges during the initial years of the pandemic, including physical and mental illness, deaths in the family, changes in employment status, changes in housing status, and struggles with online learning, said Marie Martin, director of academic quality, integrity, and assessment with UCR University Extension.
This initiative to support students is a partnership between UCR University Extension and UCR Undergraduate Education.
“The first round of grants were awarded in winter and spring 2022 but we have money left to distribute to more students. We have to distribute all funds by June 2023,” Martin said.
To date, 17 students have been offered grants ranging from $1,100-$8,300. To be eligible, students must have stopped enrolling in courses for COVID-19 related reasons.
Martin said UCR has $11,000 left to pay off delinquent account holds to allow student to reenroll and return to UCR, and $117,000 left to fund a full course load of concurrent enrollment courses and UCR readmission application fees. Concurrent enrollment means students can also take full course credit classes via University Extension.
“We know that many students who left UCR during the initial years of the pandemic are interested in returning to finish their degree,” Martin said. “Once we determine a student's eligibility for a grant, they sign a short authorization form and the Financial Aid office applies the funds to their student account. We then help the student navigate the removal of any additional non-financial holds on their account and connect with their advisor to enroll. If a student needs to apply for readmission or take some courses via concurrent enrollment, we are here to help them through the process.”
Interested students should contact Contact Marie Martin at mmartin@ucx.ucr.edu. Students may also complete an eligibility form here: https://forms.office.com/r/46Mj5vqCsC
