According to a Dec. 5 news release, The University of Texas at San Antonio dispersed $4.2 million in emergency COVID-19-related financial aid to support 7,120 students enrolled for the fall 2022 semester.

This latest round marks the end of funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, a federal program designed to provide emergency financial aid grants to students who have faced significant unexpected expenses and are experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The release said the HEERF program was established through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, passed by Congress on March 27, 2020, to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The HEERF was specifically set up to provide emergency financial aid grants to college students experiencing financial strains, the release said.

In total, UTSA allocated $94.5 million in funding to help 37,733 students with the cost of tuition, food, housing, technology, health care, child care and course-related expenses in the fall semester.



Lynn Barnes Jr., UTSA senior vice provost for strategic enrollment, said the HEERF funds have been an invaluable source of student assistance during a very difficult time.

“The additional financial assistance to help students stay enrolled and support educational expenses related to the pandemic has made a real impact,” Barnes said in a statement.

The release said the support offered through these funds has helped UTSA maintain its upward trajectory even through the pandemic. Enrollment at the university is up 5% from prepandemic figures, and in the last five years, the number of degrees awarded by UTSA has grown 16%.

UTSA also used CARES Act funding to provide training and support to the university’s instructors on strategies to effectively teach in online, in-person or hybrid learning environments. Additionally, the university invested in improvements to campus resources that help students be successful in and out of the classroom.


Kimberly Andrews Espy, UTSA’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said the university administration is grateful for the opportunity to support students who persisted in their educational goals despite the challenges caused by the pandemic.

“As a result, UTSA students have continued forging new paths towards their future careers and brighter futures for us all,” Espy said.