CARES Act
Colorado College’s Report on Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Colorado College was the recipient of federal funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act, which provides emergency relief funds to organizations and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Below we report on our spending of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
Report #8 – March 25, 2021
Revised on November 17, 2023
This constitutes Colorado College’s Final Report on our spending under the CARES Act (also known as “HEERF I”), awarded in April 2020.
Introduction
On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act (H.R. 748, Public Law 116-136), which provides emergency relief funds to organizations and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. (Digital version available.) The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), found in Section 18004 of the CARES Act, provides funding to institutions of higher education “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus.” Institutions of higher education were allocated funding for two purposes: “to defray expenses … incurred by institutions of higher education” and “for grants to students for any component of the student’s cost of attendance.” This report details Colorado College’s (CC) use of funding from its first HEERF award, no less than fifty percent of the funds in the form of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
Acknowledgement of Funding and Certification
Colorado College acknowledges signing the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students on April 10, 2020 and submitting it via grants.gov on April 11, 2020. We received notification of funding from the U.S. Department of Education on May 4, 2020. Colorado College’s award period runs from April 20, 2020 – April 19, 2021.
Total Award
Colorado College will receive a total allocation of $1,157,391 under the HEERF. In accordance with the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students, at least $578,696 (50%) will be provided directly to students impacted by campus disruptions due to the coronavirus. We determined in November 2023 that $750 was erroneously awarded to an international student with the first disbursement of funding on August 14, 2020. We returned $750 to the Department of Education on Nov. 3, 2023; therefore we distributed $577,946 directly to our students.
Funds Distributed to Date
As of March 25, 2021, Colorado College has distributed $577,946 in funding directly to students. We determined in November 2023 that $750 was erroneously awarded to an international student with the first disbursement of funding on August 14, 2020. We returned $750 to the Department of Education on Nov. 3, 2023.
Student Eligibility
According to guidance issued by the Department of Education as part of a “Frequently Asked Questions” document available on the DoED’s CARES Act HEEFR page: “Only students who are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants …. The criteria to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA include but are not limited to the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.”
We have determined that 1214 Colorado College students, having filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), are proven eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004 of the CARES Act. We have determined that, based on our documentation, 510 more students are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004 of the CARES Act due to their being US citizens, being in receipt of a social security number and being eligible to work; they simply have not yet filed a FAFSA. Total number of eligible Colorado College students: 1,724
As of March 25, 2021, 766 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004 of the CARES Act.
Methods Used to Determine which Students Receive Aid and How Much
Colorado College used the following method to determine grant funding:
- Initial disbursements of $1000 were made for food support to all Pell-eligible students on the full campus meal plan who were displaced from campus.
- Second disbursements of $200 were made for food support to all Pell-eligible students on the reduced meal plan who were displaced from campus. (At the launch of the semester, they had already received Colorado College grant funding in recognition of the difference in cost between a full campus meal plan and a reduced campus meal plan.)
- Colorado College works with students to meet their full need for the cost of attendance through the calculated parental contribution, loans, work study and grants. For those students who were unable to meet full need due to the disruption caused by the closure of campus, Colorado College issued cost of attendance grants to assist in closing the gap in need.
- Colorado College established an Emergency Request Committee to evaluate all requests for additional funding due to campus interruptions and the change in delivery of instruction.
All requests were evaluated with the understanding that needs will change, and new needs will present themselves, throughout the course of the award period, which ends on April 19, 2021.
Requests were also evaluated in the context of each student’s circumstances. For example, some students needed support for Blocks 7 & 8 only, while some needed support through the summer.
Requests were also assessed using the following general guidance:
Travel Assistance
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- Travel grants, up to $600 for domestic, up to $1,200 for international
Off Campus Food/Housing Insecurity
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- No funds available for family or dependent needs
- Off campus food insecurity limit of $200 per month
- Summer housing and food support
Medical Assistance
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- Co-pay and deductible assistance
- Dental assistance available up to $1,000
Text Book Assistance
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- Total textbook costs that exceed the one-block book allowance of $155
Reunification with belongings
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- To assist with expenses to get belongings home or to pay for shipping of belongings
- In order to meet distribution deadlines as set forth by the Department of Education, final disbursements were made to students using the following qualifications:
- All students who received Pell Grant during the year and were actively registered for Block 6, 7, or 8.
- All students who borrowed Federal Student Loans during the year and were actively registered for Block 6, 7, or 8.
Students who received both Pell Grant and borrowed loans were given double weight in the formula.
Instructions or Directions Given to Students
CC notified and provided instructions, directions, and guidance to its students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants through email and through postings on our Coronavirus webpage (https://www.coloradocollege.edu/other/coronavirus/). Emails were sent to all students, regardless of their eligibility, to notify them of financial support. All college-issued emails related to coronavirus disruptions are posted to the COVID-19 Message Archive section of the Coronavirus webpage after being sent.
April 9, 2020 email to students
April 23, 2020 email to students
February 10, 2021 email to students