COVID Relief Money for All Students

Every student who registers for Winter 2022 classes at OCC is eligible to apply for “no-strings-attached” money as part of a federal program designed to assist you in continuing your education during the COVID-19 pandemic. All students will receive a minimum of $400 and additional money may be awarded based on financial need. Money will be awarded directly to you and can be used to cover tuition, fees, transportation, technology, childcare or other expenses.   Deadline to apply:   January 25, 2022.

How to Apply

After you register for classes, applying for the award is easy and will take less than two minutes. Awards will be made in order of application date until funding runs out.

There are two ways to access the application:

  1. After you register for classes, you will receive an email to your student account.
    • The subject line reads “OCC Alert - Winter 2022 FREE emergency grants available” and comes from CARES@oaklandcc.edu.
    • Follow the simple directions outlined in that email.

  2. Can’t find that email?

Questions? Contact CARES@oaklandcc.edu. 

Additional details:

  • Sign up for direct deposit. This is the quickest, safest way to receive funding. 
  • The deadline to submit your application is  January 25, 2022. 
  • Awards will be disbursed the week of January 31, 2022. 

The money comes from the American Rescue Plan of 2021, a $1.9 trillion package passed by Congress to provide economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. OCC received $14 million for students under a section of the plan called the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). We awarded half the grant money to students in the Fall 2021 semester and will award the rest in Winter 2022.