The Daily Universe
BYU has rejected three separate COVID aid allocations from the federal government, passing up over $170 million. (Sydnee Gonzalez)
BYU is turning down $88,556,823 in federal COVID aid — at least $44,336,287 of which would have gone directly to students had BYU accepted the funding.
This is the latest round of federal stimulus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. BYU turned down both of the previous COVID funding allocations offered to it, passing up over $170 million between the three aid packages.
University spokesperson Carri Jenkins said BYU’s reasons for not accepting each aid package are the same and referred The Daily Universe to a May 2020 press release, which states BYU did not request federal aid and can provide for its students using its own funds. During the first round of funding in early 2020 through the CARES Act, BYU opted to use its own resources to provide students with COVID relief funding to cover unexpected costs related to the pandemic during the time between mid-March and the end of Winter Semester 2020.