The affordability gap between college costs and available financial resources was a barrier to college access before COVID-19, but the pandemic deepened basic-needs insecurity and highlighted unmet need--the shortfall between students' total costs and the funds available to them through grants or family support. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) provided a crucial financial lifeline to students during the pandemic, helping ease financial stress and allowing them to focus on their education. Students who received HEERF aid were more likely to stay enrolled, prioritize academics over work, and afford essentials like housing, food, and technology. This report is one of two EdTrust reports that aim to paint a clearer picture of the impact of HEERF aid, providing insights into its effectiveness, students' ongoing need, and recommendations for improving future emergency aid funding. This report highlights the experiences of 247 students across the country as they applied for emergency funding and how they used the funds they received. Together, these two reports suggest that there is room for improvement to ensure that students from low-income backgrounds and students experiencing economic uncertainty can obtain a college degree. Recommendations provided to higher education policymakers and decision-makers include maximizing emergency funding eligibility by minimizing requirements, simplifying the application process, and clarifying whether the funds are grants or loans.