Appeal Information Reviewed Before Access the Appeal Form

Who is eligible to submit an appeal?

Students enrolled on at least a half-time basis in a degree program for the Spring 2021 term, who have a 2020-21 FAFSA on file with JMU, who pass the Citizenship Database Match from the FAFSA, and who did not already receive a $1,000 HEERF II Grant may submit a HEERF II Emergency Student Aid Appeal.

While the CRRSAA does not require students to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive funds, the only way we can determine if a student meets the citizenship requirement in an automated fashion is for a FAFSA to be filed. Upon filing the FAFSA, the federal government conducts a Citizenship Database Match on each application. When the FAFSA data is received by JMU, it indicates whether or not the student passes the citizenship match.

Award amounts

Qualifying students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA less than x will be awarded a $1,000 HEERF II Grant. Students will be able to view their award in the financial aid section of their MyMadision account.

Eligible students who did not receive the $1,000 award in MyMadison may submit an appeal. Please refer to the “Who is eligible to submit an appeal?" section above to determine if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Due to the limited funding we received and the desire to assist as many students as possible, the maximum amount any student can receive is $1,000. Please check your MyMadison account before submitting an appeal.

Receiving funds

If the appeal is approved, students will receive these funds through the refund process established in the University Business Office. If you have questions about setting up the refund process, please review the website at www.jmu.edu/ubo. These funds will not be held and applied to your JMU charges. Once received, students may use the funds to assist with the designated expenses, including using them to make a payment to JMU for Spring 2021 tuition charges. These are grant awards, with no expectation of being repaid.

Appeals for non-HEERF II assistance

If you would also like to submit a Professional Judgment request for your FAFSA to be reviewed based on changes to income in your household, then please follow the instructions in the Financial Aid Appeals (Professional Judgment) section of our website, as that is a separate process from this HEERF II Emergency Aid request. Unlike HEERF II funds, financial aid based on the FAFSA will be applied to the student’s JMU account and applicable charges.

HEERF II Emergency Aid Appeal

Appeals must be submitted by the student, and will not be accepted if submitted by any other individual.

Appeal Form               

1. Student Name: __________________

2. Student ID: ____________________

3. Student JMU E-mail Address: ___________________

4. Have you already received an emergency aid award from a HEERF II Grant Act?
o Yes
o No

• If "Yes" was selected, you are not eligible to submit an appeal as you have already received funds.

5. Have you completed a 2020-21 FAFSA, as this is required to be considered for these funds?
o Yes
o No

If "No" was selected, you are not eligible to submit this appeal at this time. You can go to www.studentaid.gov and complete the 2020-21 FAFSA. Once the FAFSA is received by JMU you may submit an appeal. Appeals will not be considered before that time is completed.

6. Academic Standing (Select one):
o Freshmen
o Sophomore
o Junior
o Senior
o Graduate Student
o Doctoral Student

7. I am requesting funding from HEERF II to help cover the following expenses (Check applicable boxes):
o Tuition
o Books/Course Materials
o Housing/rent
o Food
o Utilities
o School related technology and/or supplies (e.g., internet, tutoring, computer issues, etc.)
o Healthcare needs (e.g., medication, counseling, etc.)
o Other (list reason): ________________________

8. Narrative:
• In detail, explain why you are requesting these funds.
• HEERF II funds CANNOT be awarded to replace lost income, so please do not submit an appeal based on this reason.
• HEERF II funds can only be awarded based on expenses associated with the Spring 2021 term.
For example, if a lost job is creating challenges in paying for your rent, then you may explain this. In this situation, the focus is on paying for rent, and the lost job is creating challenges in doing so. However, if you submit an appeal that only states you lost a job, it will not be approved as we cannot approve appeals to replace lost income. An appeal of this nature does not outline any specific expense you are challenged in meeting as a result of the job loss.

9. Requested Amount:

10. Requested Amount Detail:
• Requests that do not provide a specific dollar amount will not be considered
• Requests must explain how the dollar amount was calculated, or they will not be considered
• The maximum amount that can be requested is $1000.
By submitting this appeal, I understand and agree to the following:
• The information reported on this form is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
• These funds do not need to be repaid.
• The submission of this request does not guarantee that I will receive funding.
• A limited amount of funding exists and the full amount requested may not be awarded.
• These funds will not be held and applied to your JMU charges.
• If the appeal is approved, students will receive these funds through the refund process established in the University Business Office.
If you have questions about setting up the refund process, please review the website at www.jmu.edu/ubo.

Award Notice

We’re happy to report that your HEERF II Emergency Aid Appeal has been approved!

No additional action is required on your part for this grant to be awarded and processed by our office. You should be able to log into the Financial Aid section of your MyMadison account and see the award listed there.

The next step is for the funds to be disbursed to the University Business Office. We cannot tell you exactly when that will occur, but we can say that our goal is to get this money to students as quickly as possible.

You will receive a refund of this grant through the refund process you established in the University Business Office. This is the same process you have set up for all other refunds sent to you by that office. If you have questions about the refund process, please review the website at www.jmu.edu/ubo.

These funds will not be held and applied to any JMU charges. Once received, you may use the funds to assist with the designated expenses, including using them to make a payment to JMU for Spring 2021 tuition charges. These are grant awards, with no expectation of being repaid.

For additional information about this award and HEERF II funding, please visit the JMU CRRSSA (HEERF II) Emergency Aid website.