Students can now apply for the CURE2 emergency grants, which are meant to help students manage education expenses or other emergency costs caused by COVID-19. The money for the grants is provided by the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, which Congress passed in December 2020. As a result, higher education institutions like NC State can create emergency grants that assist students who have been economically disadvantaged by COVID-19.

Krista Ringler, the associate vice provost and director of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, said these grants are similar to the first round of grants from the CARES Act emergency grants.

“With the CARES Act, NC State got $8.9 million to give to students to help them through the disruption,” Ringler said. “So we gave all that money in the form of emergency grants to students, and now that this second stimulus has been approved — we received the money actually just a few weeks ago — and so we created another round of grants. This time, they’re called CURE grants rather than CARES grants, and it’s because they’re from a different bill, so we couldn’t call them the same thing.”

Ringler said the eligibility requirements for the new CURE2 grants will be less strict than the CARE grants, so students should apply sooner rather than later.

“We got another $8.9 million this time and so it will go quick,” Ringler said. “It’s intended to support students who have financial difficulties or financial emergencies as a result of the pandemic. The rules are a little easier this time around. Last time, we had to tie your expenses to the campus disruption. This time, it’s just that students need emergency support.”

Matthew Denoncourt, a first-year studying computer engineering, received $250 from the grant. Denoncourt said he is lucky to not have been extremely financially burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic, but was still able to use the money for school expenses, like technology-related materials. 

Catherine Phillips, a first-year studying political science, received $600 from the grant and is very grateful for the help it will provide her and her family.

“My mom is a teacher, so she’s been having a lot of money that she has had to spend outside of the classroom,” Phillips said. “That’s been different with her learning environment — having to spend money for that — and my dad lost his job pretty close to the beginning, probably during last summer. And so starting college freshman year, there’s been a lot of expenses that you have to go through with that, and so this was a really helpful thing, you know, just kind of making up for that lost time and lost money.”

The application for the CURE2 grants can be found in the MyPack Portal under “Financial Aid.” The application process is short and requires students to select why they need the funds and write a short explanation.

The maximum amount of each grant will be $1,200, and priority will be given to students with exceptional need. 

Students can find more information and learn how to apply for the CURE2 grants at the Student Services website.