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College students who were previously excluded from the first two rounds of stimulus payments will now be eligible for the next round of stimulus checks under the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress March 10, 2021.

The American Rescue Plan Act is a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill which will allow adult dependents who are 17 years old or older to be able to claim $1,400 as long as the taxpayer who claimed them as a dependent makes less than $75,000 a year (or $150,000 for couples who filed jointly).The American Rescue Plan Act also will be allocating about $40 billion for higher education institutions with the requirement that at least 50% of the funds go to students greatly affected by the pandemic in the form of financial aid.

The stimulus checks will be issued to taxpayers claiming dependents. The checks will not be issued to the dependents themselves. College students who are claimed as dependents are encouraged to be sure their parents or
guardians are aware of the changes made in this round of stimulus checks.

Students who filed their own tax returns for the 2020 tax year are also eligible to claim the first two rounds of the pandemic relief through a rebate program.

According to an article published by Business Insider on March 10, “For people who were claimed as dependents on 2019 taxes and will not be in 2020, like college students who graduated last year, it’s possible to claim the $1,800 on your 2020 taxes with the Recovery Rebate Credit.”

Winthrop University students are excited to be included in this round of stimulus checks and are already planning what they are going to do with their checks, but many believe they should have been included from the beginning and that the government did little for people most affected by the pandemic.

“I didn’t even realize that we were going to get anything at all. This government during this pandemic has not been good to any of us, especially us college students. By setting my expectations low, I’m actually fairly excited for this round of stimulus. I think I’m going to just put it in my savings though and try and hold on to it,” said CJ Wiley, a sophomore business administration major.

Some students think that the stimulus checks are good especially with certain career fields having been negatively impacted by the pandemic.

“I think it is really good that college students are involved in the stimulus this time around, because college is the time where you learn how to be an adult and learn how to be on your own so it is good to give college students something to help aid them starting their adult life, especially during the pandemic when certain career fields have limited opportunities,” said Ashley Brown, a junior musical theatre major.

College students are excited to be included in this round of Covid relief because it will help those who are struggling prepare for the future and provide some much needed relief for this stressful period.

Graphic by Anna Sharpe