Soka to Distribute Second Round of Coronavirus Relief Funds to Eligible Students

Soka University of America will distribute more than $345,000 in coronavirus relief funds to eligible students.

Half of the funds will come from a second round of supplemental aid from the US government, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. The act, signed into law in December 2020, authorized more than $20 billion in emergency relief funding for higher education, intended to be distributed directly to students and offset institutional costs caused by the pandemic.

SUA will receive $175,563 in Higher Education Emergency Relief II funding for emergency aid to eligible students. The US Department of Education has not issued guidance on whether international, DACA, or undocumented students may receive these funds, therefore Soka will only be awarding HEERF II funds to Title IV eligible domestic students.

For those enrolled students who are not eligible for these federal funds, including international students, Soka has decided to provide $170,720 of its own institutional funds in Soka Cares II grants to provide emergency aid. The Office of Financial Aid has begun the process of awarding funds, which will be distributed in early April.

“We are very excited to release this second round of funding to our students who have endured so much throughout the pandemic,” said Andrew Woolsey, dean of enrollment services. “We are also especially grateful to all of our donors, who through their generosity have given us the ability to support our students and help fulfill our university mission.”

For more detailed information on the HEERF II and Soka Cares II grant programs, please visit the Financial Aid COVID-19 FAQ page.