CRRSAA Student Grants | COVID-19 Policy

Direct Student Aid

As part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act — (CRRSAA), 2021 — on January 17, 2021, Rensselaer was awarded $2,414,391 by the Department of Education for direct student aid grants. As of March 31, 2021 the Institute established its policies with regard to distribution of grants. All available funds will be distributed to eligible undergraduate students based on Expected Family Contribution as a result of their FASFA, as required by the terms and conditions of the award, prioritizing awards to the highest need students at Rensselaer.

The Institute is utilizing a tiered approach for the distribution of the awards, providing larger awards to our neediest students. To be eligible for an award, a student must meet the following criteria:

The student was enrolled as matriculating undergraduate student for the spring 2021 semester as of March 22, 2021.
The student filed a FASFA with the Institute for the 2020-2021 academic year.
The student’s Expected Family Contribution for the 2020-2021 academic year was $12,500 or less.

The Emergency Financial Aid Grant amount is determined based on Expected Family Contribution as outlined in the following table:

Expected Family Contribution		CRRSAA Student Emergency Financial Aid Grant
$ 0	$ 2,500	$ 2,000
$ 2,501	$ 5,000	$ 1,500
$ 5,001	$ 7,500	$ 1,200
$ 7,501	$ 10,000	$ 750
$ 10,001	$ 12,500	$ 500
Greater than $12,500		$ 0

Direct student aid grants are expected to be distributed in April 2021.

Letter to Students (PDF)

Institution Aid

On January 17, 2021, Rensselaer was approved by the Department of Education to receive a $4,868,691 grant for reimbursement of institutional costs, including lost revenues, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic as awarded in CRRSAA. This grant has been fully utilized as of June 30, 2021.

Reporting

The CRRSAA requires institutions to submit ongoing reports. View the reports below.