The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities (CARES) Act (Pub. L. 116-136) authorized the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) to allocate formula grant funds to postsecondary institutions for the purpose of addressing needs related to coronavirus. On April 10, 2020, Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, President of Spelman College, signed and submitted to ED the Certification and Agreement for an Award under Section 18004(a)(2) of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Total CARES Act Funds Provided to Spelman College for Student Emergency Financial Aid
Total funds allocated to Spelman for Student Emergency Financial Aid from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students was $1,402,147, which will be directly disbursed to students. The institution will use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
Estimated Number of Students Eligible to Participate Under Section 4848 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
A primary criterion for eligibility consideration is a student’s eligibility to apply for federal aid, regardless of whether an application was submitted. It has been determined that two thousand one hundred twenty students (2,120) students were eligible to participate in the federal aid programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 during the 2019-20 academic year.
Methods Used by Spelman College to Determine Students’ Eligibility and Amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grant Under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act
In efforts to ensure that approximately 70 percent of our student population will receive a share of the funding, Spelman College has established a tiered method of distribution based on Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as reported on the 2019-2020 Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Based on this methodology, students with an EFC that is $30,000 or less were considered eligible to receive Spelman College CARES Act Student Emergency Grant funds.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education set forth guidelines to which the College must abide to determine grant eligibility.
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Students must be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). For purposes of disbursal of these funds, the College will base determination of eligibility on the existence of the student’s 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
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Students must be United States citizens (or eligible non-citizens).
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Students must use funds for eligible expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus to include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare (CARES Act Section 18004(c).
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Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, as outlined by Financial Aid guidelines.
Students identified by the Office of Financial Aid as initially eligible (based on the above guidelines) received notification via e-mail. Students must follow the link provided within the e-mail to certify that funds awarded will be used for allowable expenses. Funds will not be disbursed to students who have not submitted a certification form. Upon receipt of the certification form, funds will be disbursed via direct deposit or check to students.
HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditures
Spelman has disbursed its entire amount of $1,402,147 received for students through the CARES Act.