Many College Students Ineligible for Stimulus Checks
By: Rhyann Green
Posted on:
ATHENS, Ohio — While many Americans are expecting to get a check from the federal stimulus bill, many college students who have lost their on-campus jobs might not be that fortunate.
President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, into law on March 27. The bill provides $2.2 trillion dollars in relief, including plans to send a majority of Americans $1,200.
The bill includes a provision that prevents anyone claimed as a dependent on a parent’s taxes from receiving a check. While the bill also includes a $500 credit for each child in a family, only children under the age of 17 qualify for that payment.
Colleges and universities across the state have moved classes online for the remainder of the spring semester, causing students to move back to their hometowns earlier than expected. Ohio University student Quinn Krannitz is one of many who worked on campus. When he heard about the bill, he hoped to receive the additional aid.
“So now I have to find a way to get some income and money so I can have cash to pay for things needed as well as staying safe because I don’t want to try and risk working elsewhere outside home for I have an autoimmune disorder,” he said. “A little cash would have went a long way.”
Krannitz said he is considering his options for remote work. The number of hours he can work is based on the average number of hours that he was scheduled, which does not include any shifts that he often picked up.
Ohio University spokesperson Carly Leatherwood said the university is committed to providing work to students who were employed during the semester. She said supervisors were instructed to make contact with student employees by March 23.
“It is important to note that students are not required to work if they choose not to, but Ohio University wants to continue to provide income to those students who were reliant on their work for the University,” she said.
Other students in need of assistance can apply online for a COVID-19 Student Emergency Microgrant through the university.