Student Success

Students who face unexpected financial hardship can apply for financial assistance can receive assistance with paying their semester bill. This award provides one-time assistance and cannot provide long-term assistance with costs associated with tuition and room and board.

Awards of up to $3,000 are available for undergraduate and graduate students in good standing who have attended at least one semester at Purchase College. Awards exceeding $3,000 may be given in certain circumstances with the express written approval of the dean. Applications for awards are reviewed, and approved or denied by a campus committee which includes representatives from Student Affairs, Enrollment, Academics, and Financial Services and will be applied to the student’s account.

Please note: because of the number of requests and limited funding, the committee will only consider applicants who have taken all of the federal loans that that been offered to them as part of their financial aid package.

To qualify, students must:

• Be an enrolled, matriculated student with a minimum GPA of a 2.0 for an undergraduate student and a 3.0 for a graduate student;
• Have attended Purchase College for at least one semester;
• Have a good record of conduct; and
• Have filed a FAFSA for the current academic year.

Students who face unexpected financial hardship or even homelessness can apply for financial assistance through the Carroll and Milton Petrie Emergency Grant program.

Awards of up to $3,000 are available for undergraduate and graduate students in good standing who have attended at least one semester at Purchase College.

Cash grants are awarded to students with short-term, verifiable emergencies.

Please note: because of the number of requests and limited funding, the committee will only consider applicants who have taken all of the federal loans that that been offered to them as part of their financial aid package.

To qualify, students must:

• Be an enrolled, matriculated student with a minimum GPA of a 2.0 for an undergraduate student and a 3.0 for a graduate student;
• Have attended Purchase College for at least one semester; and
• Have a good record of conduct.

Personal debts, full or partial costs, legal representation, tuition, college fees and on-campus housing costs. This is not a complete listing. Please contact the Associate Director of Student Success if you have questions regarding your situation.

Example of emergencies to be considered include, but are not limited to:

• Temporary loss of student’s job or jobs;
• Unanticipated loss resulting in lack of funds to get to and from college;
• Sudden loss resulting in lack of funds for food or a meal plan;
• Theft of computer, books, clothing or essential belongings;
• Medical bills for uninsured necessary appointments, accidents or surgery;
• Eyeglasses or essential dental work;
• Travel home for illness or death in the immediate family;
• Homelessness due to loss of housing, for student and family dependents;
• Fire in living quarters;
• Sudden loss of childcare to cover during academic classes.

An eligible student satisfies all of the following criteria:

• Matriculated undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled. Students in all academic programs are eligible.
• Enrolled during the spring 2020 semester on or after March 22, 2020.
• Students who withdrew from the college prior to March 22 are not eligible for a CARES Grant since they had withdrawn prior to the conversion to remote learning.
• Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid in 2019-20 or 2020-21 and a FAFSA on file in 2019-20 or 2020-21. See the definition below criteria of eligible for federal Title IV financial aid.

According to federal regulations (Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)) a student is eligible for federal Title IV financial aid if all of the following criteria are met:

1. Be enrolled in a degree, certificate or other recognized educational credential (including a program of study abroad approved for credit by the eligible institution at which such student is enrolled) – that is, a regular student under 34 CFR 600.2);
2. Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school and have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
3. Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP);
4. Not owe an overpayment (refund) on Title IV grants;
5. Not be in default on a Title IV loan;
6. File with ED “as part of the original financial aid application process” a certification (Statement of Educational Purpose) that includes: a) A statement of educational purpose, and b) The student’s Social Security Number (SSN);
7. Be a U.S citizen or national, a permanent resident, or an eligible noncitizen;
8. Have returned any fraudulently obtained Title IV funds, if the student is convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges;
9. Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits;
10. Have repaid any Title IV loan overpayment amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits, if obtained inadvertently;
11. Have his Selective Service registration verified (the Title IV aid ineligibility for failure to register is actually in the Selective Service Act §3811(f));
12. Have a valid SSN, except for residents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau; and
13. Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations.

The definition of allowable expenses is included on the form: expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including allowable expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Eligible students must complete the required certification on myHeliotrope that they have already incurred, or will incur, allowable expenses that are related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, and attest that they have already spent, or will spend, the amount of the Base Grant on allowable expenses.

The certification deadline was August 14, 2020.

The Enhanced Grant application deadline was August 14, 2020.

The Purchase College CARES Act Committee will review the Enhanced Grant applications for approval and determine the size of the awards.

All requests will be considered; however funding constraints may limit the number and size of awards. Priority will be given to high-need students with limited available resources.

For more information, please contact Student Financial Services at dean.student.affairs@purchase.edu or financialservices@purchase.edu for questions specific to your Base Grant refund or eRefund account.

View the required web-based report for HEERF student aid.