CRRSAA and ARP Notice and Update
Monday, April 10, 2022
In our recent notice dated January 10, 2022, we updated you on our current status related to the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, and authorizes funding support for higher education (and other agencies). Additionally, on May 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education provided additional support to students and institutions of higher education, which is made available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III). These funds support students and institutions toward recovery efforts so that we can emerge from the pandemic even stronger. This is an update to the October 10, 2021 notice. Noted below are details of HCU’s allocated funding related to the CRRSAA and ARP funding and the process for disbursement of funding for the third quarter of 2021:
- HCU has signed, acknowledged, and returned to the Department of Education the required Certification and Agreement for HEERF III funding, which states that the institution plans to use no less than $3,817,560 of funding to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. A sample copy of this certification and more information regarding the HEERF funding can be found via the following links:
- The HEERF III funds were awarded by the Department of Education to HCU, with a total allocation amount equal to $7,503,992. Of the $7,503,992, only $3,686,432 was allocated to costs incurred by the institution and $3,817,560 was allocated for direct student aid. The total amount was made available to HCU on May 18, 2021.
- As of March 31, 2022, HCU has expensed all $3,078,275 related to HEERF II institutional funding (none expensed from January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022). HCU has also expensed $2,042,701 related to HEERF III institutional funding thru March 31,2022 ( $369,141 expensed from January 1, 2022 to March 31, 2022). (See Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting PDF for details.)
- As of March 31, 2022, HCU has distributed $1,307,802 of direct student aid related to HEERF II student funding. The criteria for distribution was based on the lowest Student Aid Index (SAI under $10,000) levels with the highest amount of unmet need (in excess of $3,000) as of the spring 2021 term.
- As of March 31,2022, HCU has distributed $2,078,000 of direct student aid related to HEERF III student funding (none expensed from January 1, 2022 to March 31,2022).
- The allocation of HEERF III funding of direct student aid was distributed to approximately 1,145 students as a grant using a paper check or as a direct deposit into their bank account if HCU has direct deposit instructions on file for the student. The higher education relief fund provides funds for enrolled students to be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare). The criteria for distribution was based on the student’s response to a survey sent to all eligible students regarding the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on the student.
- The amount disbursed to students under HEERF III ranged from $1,000 to $3,000 per student among all of the eligible students that met the criteria, with the larger disbursements going to students with higher unmet needs.
- There were approximately 4,317 eligible students to receive emergency financial aid grants under HEERF III.
As more information becomes available, this page will be updated accordingly.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may distinguish the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” Philippians 1:9-10