CARES Act

Under the terms of the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, students who were enrolled at Trine University during the spring semester will soon receive a one-time payment to assist in dealing with hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act provided money to colleges and universities for emergency student grants. The purpose of the grant is to assist students with specific expenses that are a direct result of the disruptions of campus operations due to the coronavirus.  

Trine University will distribute CARES Act funding in a way that prioritizes students with the greatest demonstrated need and ensures that funds are distributed as widely as possible.  The amounts range from $275 to $550 per student and will be distributed by May 1.  Eligible students are not required to complete an application or file any other documents.

Eligible students:

  1. Were enrolled in Trine University’s traditional seated classes when the university moved to all online classes on March 16, 2020.
  2. Filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-20 academic year.
  3. Are meeting the requirements of satisfactory academic progress.  

For those students who have direct deposit information on file with the Student Accounts Office, the payments will be made directly into your bank account. 

Students who do NOT have direct deposit information on file will receive an email from our partner, Deluxe Corporation (eCheck processor for Trine University/Paymerang), explaining how to access your funds.  You will receive an email notification from Deluxe (Deluxe Corp app@echecks.com) that your reimbursement is ready. You can also view instructions here.

  • By clicking a link, you will be taken to the Deluxe website, and you can Print as a Guest to retrieve a .pdf file of your check.
  • There is no need to enter any personal information and there is no fee. You then have the choice of printing the check on plain paper and taking it to the bank, or depositing the check to your financial institution through your mobile banking app.
  • There is no need to create an account with Deluxe to receive your check, and there is no charge to you to download and print it as a Guest However, you can only download the check one time.  

Thank you again for your patience and perseverance in these unprecedented times, and we hope this payment provides at least some comfort and relief. If you have questions, see the FAQs below.

CARES Act FAQs - Students

Trine University has received funding through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Funding will be used to provide direct emergency checks/direct deposit grants to college students whose lives and educations have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Students who were enrolled in traditional seated classes when the University moved to all online classes on March 16, 2020 are eligible for the funds. Students must have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and must be meeting the requirements of satisfactory academic progress along with additional student eligibility requirements.

No. Because you are not able to apply for federal Title IV financial aid, you are not eligible.

You do not need to apply for the CARES Act funds if you are determined to be an eligible student. You received an email on April 29 from the University if you are eligible.

Award amounts vary by student and are unique to each student’s financial circumstances. The FAFSA on file for the 2019/2020 academic year was used to determine the student’s financial need.

For those students who have direct deposit information on file with the Student Accounts Office, the payments will be made directly into your bank account. Students who do NOT have direct deposit information on file will receive an email from our partner, Deluxe Corporation (eCheck processor for Trine University/Paymerang), explaining how to access your funds. You will receive an email notification from Deluxe (Deluxe Corp app@echecks.com) that your reimbursement is ready.

  • By clicking a link, you will be taken to the Deluxe website, and you can Print as a Guest to retrieve a .pdf file of your check.
  • You also have the choice of printing the check on plain paper and taking it to the bank; or depositing the check to your financial institution through your mobile banking app.
  • There is no need to create an account with Deluxe to receive your check, and there is no charge to you to download and print it as a Guest. However, you can only download the check one time.
    Instructions for retrieving eChecks are attached.

If you meet the criteria for eligible students you will receive the grant. Students who were enrolled in traditional seated classes when the University moved to all online classes on March 16, 2020 are eligible for the funds. Students must have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and must also be meeting the requirements of satisfactory academic progress along with additional student eligibility requirements.

No, these funds are considered to be grant awards and do not need to be repaid.

You can request additional assistance from the Financial Aid Office. There are limited dollars available to fund additional requests, so your request may not be honored.

If you, a spouse, or a parent experienced job loss, or wage or savings reduction associated with these difficult economic times due to coronavirus, it is recommended that you contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss the details of your situation. It may be an option to request a Special Condition to determine if you are eligible for additional federal funds.

Financial Aid questions: finaid@trine.edu
Student Account questions: Businessoffice@trine.edu
Questions about Check Payment Processor? support@paymerang.com

Trine University has applied for and received funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, and intends to use at least 50 percent of those funds to provide emergency financial aid grants to students, as mandated by the Act.

The portion designated for these grants totals $900,489. As of September 30, 2020, there are 2,738 students eligible to receive these emergency grants and $889,350 has been distributed.  This number does not include students enrolled solely in online programs.

The funds were distributed to 1,978 students enrolled in seated classes when the university moved to online classes on March 19, 2020, who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019/2020 academic year. The FAFSA was used to determine an expected family contribution (EFC) cutoff, with students below the cutoff receiving a $550 grant and those above receiving a $275 grant.

Eligible students were given instructions on how to obtain the funds via email on April 29, 2020.

Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act disclosure form