Through the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, Charleston Southern University received funding to assist students who experienced a financial hardship related to the campus closing and moving all classes and services to an online format. These funds are designed to assist with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and childcare). 

If you are a currently registered spring semester student who did not attend online courses exclusively and who was eligible to receive a Pell grant, you will automatically receive a disbursement of these funds.   

Yes – if you are eligible to receive an automatic disbursement, you will receive an email to your BucMail account with this notification. 

Students who did not receive an automatic disbursement may still be eligible to receive a grant from these funds through an application process.   

After automatic disbursements are completed, students who have a documented financial hardship due to the campus closure not covered by the automatic disbursement are encouraged to apply for these funds. A notification will be sent by BucMail with directions for applying once available. Once your application is received, you may be asked to provide documentation to support your request. Please check your BucMail account regularly. 

Per federal requirements, students enrolled in exclusively online courses are not eligible to receive these funds. 

Per federal requirements, only U.S. citizens are eligible to receive these funds. However, you may apply for assistance through the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund program, a fund established through donations prior to the passage of the CARES Act. More info on this program is located at this link.

No, this is not a loan. The funds are given to students in need, to use as they see fit. 

No, these funds are exempt from the maximum financial aid amount students may receive.  

The funds are allocated based on expenses such as food, housing, technology needs, childcare expenses, medical expenses and other expenses resulting from the campus disruption. Once received, students may choose how they wish to spend the money.   

The university cannot directly apply these funds to your account. If you wish to make a payment on your account, you can do so at any time by logging into your MyCSU portal.  

The amounts may vary based on family income, household size, the number of credits a student is currently registered for and the way in which a student was affected by the campus closure. The maximum amount a student may receive from all COVID-19 Student Relief programs administered by the university is $2,500.  

To receive your grant as quickly as possible, be sure to sign up for eRefund via the MyCSU portal.   

Currently the university is accepting applications for spring and summer semesters only. Students may only apply once. If funds remain available for future semesters, the university will reopen the application. Students may apply once per semester.  

There is no deadline; however, funds are limited. The sooner students apply the more likely they are to receive funds. In general, please allow 10 business days for processing after the application is submitted. 

No. The grant cannot replace lost wages. However, if you are not able to meet expenses related to food, housing/rent, technology expenses, travel expenses, etc., due to the campus disruption caused by the Coronavirus, you may apply for a grant. 

No, the funds are not intended for this purpose. However, please contact the Financial Aid Office (financialaid@csuniv.edu) so that we can reconsider your financial aid application to determine if you might qualify for other types of financial assistance. 

Some examples include but are not limited to:  

• Expenses to purchase hardware or software to participate in online classes.
• Expenses related to obtaining reliable Internet and wifi access to participate in online classes. 
• Expenses related to tutoring or course assistance to improve your experience and performance in online coursework.

An example includes but is not limited to:  

• Additional travel expenses due to the disruption caused by the Coronavirus. For example, the purchase of a plane ticket to return home early from a Spring 2020 study abroad experience.

Room and board rebates will be applied first to any outstanding balance on a student account. If a credit balance results following the room and board rebates, students may choose to receive a refund or leave the funds on their account to be applied to expenses in a future term. 

We are working diligently to process these as quickly as possible with the goal of issuing all rebates by May 29. Please be sure to check your BucMail account for an email communication regarding your rebates. 

Yes. Rebates will be available toward any charges incurred in the next term in which a student enrolls. They do not have to apply to future room and board charges. Make sure to contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@csuniv.edu to update housing changes as it can affect your financial aid.  

Yes. Please sign into MyCSU and complete the Room and Board Rebate Form to indicate your preference for an eRefund or to have the funds applied to your future charges.  

The federal government is offering various relief opportunities for federal student loans, including suspending interest and payments. Please visit studentaid.gov/announcements-events/coronavirus or contact the servicer of your student loan for further information.   

Yes. If you wish to apply your credit toward fall 2020 graduate charges, please sign into MyCSU and complete the Room and Board Rebate Form to indicate your preference to have the funds applied to your future charges. 

No. The board rebate will be based on the remaining weeks in the term after the student’s departure from campus. 

Yes. As is the case in all major semesters, any commuter dining dollars remaining at the end of the term will be applied back to the student’s account. If a credit balance of greater than $75 results, a refund check will be automatically issued after the end of the term. If a credit balance of $75 or less results, you may request a refund check be processed by contacting studentaccounts@csuniv.edu. 

Students who have been granted an exception to stay in campus housing for the remainder of the semester will not receive the board rebate. Students who did not return to live in campus housing following the extended spring break will receive the board rebate regardless of their move-out date. 

We understand that you want to know what your balance will be. If you want help determining your remaining charges, please contact the Student Accounts Office at studentaccounts@csuniv.edu.  

Absolutely. We understand these are uncertain times and that many students and families may find it difficult to pay their student account right now. Please pay what you can as you are able. We are waiving late fees on payment plans through July to assist families with flexible payment needs. Any outstanding balance will need to be paid by August 1, 2020. Please contact the Student Accounts Office at studentaccounts@csuniv.edu if you have any questions.