Dear Parents and Family,
Your student received this earlier today.
Update: HEERF II Funds Distributed
The University of Iowa’s Office of Financial Aid has completed the distribution of $8.085 million the university received from the federal government’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The U.S. Department of Education authorized these funds to be used for any component of a student’s cost of attendance or emergency costs resulting from COVID-19. More than 6,500 students received assistance, with the average award being $1,200. A total of 1,800 more students received assistance compared to the number who received 2020 CARES Act funds last summer. Among the more than 6,500 recipients:
- 82% were undergraduate students, 10% were professional students and 8% were graduate students
- 39% of the recipients were first-generation students
- 65% of the total number of undergraduate student recipients also are Federal Pell Grant recipients. Graduate and professional students are not eligible for Federal Pell grants.
Because the HEERF was a different funding bill, different rules applied. Schools were required by the U.S. Department of Education to prioritize students with exceptional financial need, such as receiving Federal Pell grants. Therefore, students were only allowed to apply for these funds if they demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is cost of attendance minus expected family contribution. More information about HEERF II application requirements can be found here.
Reminder: UI to Host COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for Students April 21-22
The University of Iowa will host a vaccination clinic for UI students this week, thanks to continued vaccine allocation from Johnson County Public Health. The vaccine provided will be the Pfizer-BioNTech.
The vaccination clinic will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day on Wednesday, April 21, and Thursday, April 22, in the main lounge of the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU).
If you wish to be vaccinated, you may schedule your appointment by signing in to MyUI using your HawkID.
Many time slots will be available, so you should be able to sign up and attend with your friends.
Consider your exam schedule
Please note that you will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which requires two doses, three weeks apart. Student Health will hold a second vaccination clinic at the IMU on Thursday, May 13, and Friday, May 14, to provide the second dose and will assist you with scheduling your follow up appointment immediately after you receive your first dose.
It is important to consider your class and final exam schedule when making these appointments. If you can’t come during finals week, Student Health will have appointments available in the Westlawn Building on Newton Road during the following week (May 16—21). The vaccine will be provided free of charge.
Campus Operations Update
The university continues to monitor self-reported COVID-19 testing data on campus, while also tracking state, region, and national COVID-19 infection rates.
University of Iowa Self-Reported COVID-19 Testing
These data reflect new cases since April 16, 2021.
The University of Iowa has published an updated snapshot of self-reported positive COVID-19 tests from faculty, staff, and students.
Number of self-reported cases of COVID-19:
Students
- New cases: 6
- Total cases: 3,146
Employees
- New cases: 3
- Total cases: 483
These numbers reflect only self-reported positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from UI faculty, staff, and students on the academic campus since Aug. 18, 2020. These data will not match data reported by UI Hospitals & Clinics or by the Iowa Department of Public Health for several reasons, including different testing time intervals and geographic scope. Students who also are employees of the university are only reported in the student number to avoid double counting. The UI has more than 30,000 students and nearly 30,000 employees. Many employees continue to work remotely but have self-reported to authorize sick leave.
Number of residence hall students in quarantine: 0*
Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 1**
*Quarantine: Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.
**Self-isolation: Isolation is used to separate people infected.