Dear Graduate Students,
I hope that this note finds you and your family and friends healthy and safe. I write in acute awareness of the practical and emotional strains that the COVID-19 pandemic has generated for our entire community, and of the particular academic, financial and professional anxieties it has created for graduate students.
I know that many of you have pressing needs, and I want to assure you that we are working to address them as fully as we can given the circumstances.
The university has begun convening colleagues and experts to focus on four areas of work: Public Health, Finances, Academic Planning and Operations. This work is ongoing. As we enter the summer period and begin to prepare for the fall term, the university also recently announced steps to respond to the continuing financial impact of the COVID-19 crisis.
This crisis has impacted all of us in profound ways. I am sharing information about some resources available to graduate students below with knowledge that they cannot fully meet the unique needs of every member of our community. However, as an institution dedicated to cura personalis, care of the whole person, we are committed to offering support to our community throughout this crisis.
CARES Act Funding
With funding provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Georgetown will make direct emergency grants to certain students who are eligible for CARES Act funding. Approximately $320,000 will be granted directly to certain eligible graduate and professional students to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.
Graduate students on the Main Campus, School of Continuing Studies and at the Medical Center, who are U.S. citizens eligible for federal funding, and were enrolled as degree-seeking students in on-campus programs during the spring 2020 semester, can apply for this funding through the same application for the COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund. If you have already applied through the COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund, you will be automatically considered and do not need to apply again. If you did not, the deadline to apply to be considered for funds available through the CARES Act is Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m.
COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund
Georgetown’s COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund is intended to provide one-time, short-term relief of up to $1,000 for certain students who are experiencing immediate financial hardship. This fund is supported by contributions from alumni, parents, friends, faculty and staff. Students can submit an application on an ongoing basis through the fall 2020 semester.
Financial Aid
The Office of Student Financial Services works with students to assess their ability to meet educational costs, awards federal aid and provides information on other available educational financing options.
Students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens, and who are enrolled at least half-time, can apply for federal financial aid this summer or for the upcoming academic year by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). International students may fund their education through private education loans. More information can be found on the Student Financial Services website.
Graduate Career Center Resources
The Graduate Career Center is providing services and connecting both continuing and graduating students to opportunities over the summer. The Graduate Career Center is:
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- Developing a platform to connect graduate students with alumni who have part-time opportunities available this summer. This will allow students who participate to gain skills, make connections and enhance their resumes while searching for full-time employment. The program will launch this June and continue through the fall as opportunities arise; graduate students will receive additional information when the program is ready to launch.
- Finding opportunities across campus and beyond for graduate students to develop resume-enhancing skills this summer. These would include short-term, skill-building courses in areas such as data analytics, digital marketing and project management.
- Continuing to provide individual career coaching to recent graduates to ensure they are supported by these services throughout the summer.
Students should also check in with their school’s career center, which has resources, opportunities and alumni connections specifically designed for the industries and job functions most related to their degree.
Mental Health and Telehealth Resources
The Student Health Center is offering virtual services and some in-person visits. Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) and Health Education Services (HES) continue to offer free, virtual services to students. The Mental Health and Telehealth Resources page also provides quick access to national resources available to members of our community.
I want to close by expressing my admiration and appreciation for the many ways that you as a community have responded to our current situation: your resilience as students, teachers and scholars has been inspiring.
Sincerely,
Todd Olson
Vice President for Student Affairs