UTSA provides additional $6.6 million to aid students during the summer semester

JUNE 30, 2022 — UTSA has distributed $6.6 million to support 8,831 students enrolled for summer classes. The funding comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which was set up to provide emergency financial aid grants to students who have faced significant unexpected expenses and are experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic. This latest round of funding is part of the university’s ongoing support of students and the South Texas region in response to the lasting effects of COVID-19.

“We recognize that UTSA’s role as an urban Hispanic Serving Institution magnifies our potential impact on students and our community,” said Kimberly Andrews Espy, UTSA provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “As we manage the lingering effects of the pandemic, we’re committed to finding ways to support our students and community.”

“As we manage the lingering effects of the pandemic, we’re committed to finding ways to support our students and community.”

According to UTSA research on the economic impact of COVID-19 on San Antonio residents, Hispanic families are much more likely than their non-Hispanic white counterparts to experience various pandemic-related hardships—including trouble paying rent or a mortgage, job loss and delaying needed medical services. With nearly 20,000 students—or 57% of its total population—identifying as Hispanic or Latino, UTSA has designated millions of dollars toward emergency financial aid and grants.

Since the program began in 2020, the institution has disbursed over $89 million in HEERF emergency financial aid grants to 35,939 students, who use these funds to help cover education-related expenses such as tuition, books, food, housing, technology, health care and child care.

HEERF was part of the larger Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. UTSA has also used CARES Act funding to provide training and support to the university’s instructors on strategies to effectively teach in online, in-person, or hybrid learning environments. Additionally, the university has invested in improvements to campus resources that help students be successful in and out of the classroom.

Students currently enrolled for the summer semester who have not previously received HEERF assistance can seek emergency financial aid grants by completing a HEERF aid application form. Applications are currently being reviewed for the summer 2022 semester.

— Matthew Boerger