News
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report IV
December 24, 2020
Central Community College received nearly $1.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-related expenses. Central Community College submitted to the department the signed certification and agreement on April 14, 2020 and received the funds on April 21, 2020.
The allocation is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities Act, or CARES Act, which was passed on March 27, 2020. The measure stipulates that half of the total federal dollars granted to the institution ($945,227) be directed as emergency cash grants for students impacted by the coronavirus.
Students were informed that the college received CARES Act funds and that they would be receiving an electronic form to complete if they wanted to apply for an Emergency Financial Aid Grant. Additional public notifications occurred through press releases, broadcast news interviews and social media. A committee of seven college employees reviewed the applications weekly to determine if the applicant had identified a need based on federal guidelines.
Students received e-mails at their CCC address similar to the one below:
Your application for CARES Act Funding has been reviewed, and you have been awarded a $500 grant to be disbursed the end of this week. This funding is to be used to pay for expenses incurred due to interruptions in your education due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds will be issued via check to the address in our CCC database (unless you indicated a different address on your application) or to your bank account if you have provided your bank information on your WebCentral account for direct deposit.
Budget Year 2019-2020
During the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 Semesters, CCC sent 7,136 invitations to all registered students to apply for CARES Act funds. Awards were based on enrollment status:
• Full-time (12 or more credit hours) - $1,000
• Three-quarter-time (9-11 credit hours) - $750
• Half-time (6-9 credit hours) - $500
• Less than half-time (five or fewer credit hours) - $250
Students who were invited to apply were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus met the eligibility requirements to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants. Weekly reminders were provided to students through their CCC e-mail accounts. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used to determine if a student is Title IV eligible. The application process included questions regarding expenses incurred by the student from March 9 on that were specific to COVID-19 (i.e., unexpected additional living expenses, daycare costs, technology expenses, etc.).
1,865 completed applications were received. Of that number, 1,057 were determined to be eligible and received grants totaling $868,750.
Budget Year 2020-2021
During the Fall Semester, Central Community College contacted 1,957 students who were registered for any fall course (registered for class as of August 28, 2020) at their CCC e-mail addresses. These students were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. They thus met the eligibility requirements to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants for the fall term. Weekly reminders were provided to students through their CCC e-mail accounts. The FAFSA was used to determine if a student is Title IV eligible. The application process included questions regarding expenses incurred by the student from March 9, 2020 on that were specific to COVID-19 (i.e., unexpected additional living expenses, daycare costs, technology expenses, etc.).
Central Community College used the same award amounts from the previous period, and students who previously received funds were not eligible. A total of 696 students completed the application, and 326 of these were deemed eligible and received grants totaling $333,150.
Total CARES Act Funding Awarded
Central Community College expended the total $945,227 in emergency cash grants for students impacted by the coronavirus, plus an additional $256,673 of institutional CARES Act funds. In total, 1,309 students were awarded for a total of $1,201,900.