CARES Funds
Submit your free FAFSA to see what federal and state aid you qualify for to support your CNM education.
CNM also offers 90 different scholarships that you can apply to in one place.
Spring 2023 CARES Funds
CNM’s application for CARES funds for students enrolled at CNM for Spring 2023 is now closed. We have received the maximum number of applicants and funds have been paid out.
A total of 4000 students were paid on a first-come, first-served basis in April 2023. Awards were $500 each, and students had the option to apply funds to their charges with their written consent.
Be sure to set up Direct Deposit to receive your funds faster!
Note: Dual Credit/high school and Ingenuity students are not eligible for CARES funds this spring.
About CARES
Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March 2020. CNM has received funding under three CARES grant programs: CARES, CRRSSA, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) which were designed to provide relief to students and colleges from the economic fallout related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The student portion is meant to provide financial relief to students who have experienced the loss of income or added expenses as a result of the pandemic. CNM CARES grant funding is described in the table below. Additional funding was received as CNM is a Minority Serving Institution.
| CARES Grant Programs: | CARES -HEERF I | CRRSSA - HEERF II | ARP - HEERF III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Student Aid Amount |
$4,652,717 |
$4,652,717 |
$19,134,329 |
| Institutional Portion |
$4,652,716 |
$16,751,748 |
$18,010,752 |
| Minority Serving Institutions |
$608,772 |
$1,190,081 |
$2,007,027 |
| Total Combined Funding Received |
$9,914,205 |
$22,594,546 |
$39,152,108 |
For each grant, the Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) signed and returned a Certification and Agreement with the Department of Education to accept allocated funds from the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Laws 116-260 and 117-2.
More Information
Taxes
According to the Internal Revenue Service, "Emergency financial aid grants under the CARES Act for unexpected expenses, unmet financial need, or expenses related to the disruption of campus operations on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as unexpected expenses for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, or childcare, are qualified disaster relief payments under section 139." For more information please visit the IRS FAQ page.
Repayment
The funds provided by the CARES Act are grants, so they do not need to be repaid.