CARES Act / HEERF
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act / Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II)/ American Rescue Plan (HEERF III): Compliance Statement
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III)/American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021:
On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, which provides additional relief to address the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, was enacted and signed into law. The ARP appropriated approximately $39.6 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and represents the third stream of funding appropriated for HEERF to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
On January 14, 2021 the Department of Education announced additional funds available to higher education institutions to serve students and ensure learning continues during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Funding is allocated by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27th, 2020. This bill allotted $2.2 trillion to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that money, approximately $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF.
SUMMARY AWARDING 12/30/2021
- CARES ACT: $939,850 allocated funds: 502 (duplicated) students were awarded $939,850 in CARES funds
- HEERFII/CRRSSA: $939,850 allocated funds: 377 (duplicated) students were awarded $939,850 in HEERFII funds
- HEERFIII/ARP: $3,088,479 allocated funds: 267 (duplicated) students were awarded $413,135 in HEERFIII funds
- HEERFIII/SAHIE $950,000 allocated funds: 50 (duplicated) students were awarded $147,743 in HEERFIII/SAHIE funds
- HEERFIII/MSI $450,000 allocated funds: 136 (duplicated) were awarded $177,230 in HEERFIII/MSI funds
FINAL: SUMMARY AWARDING 02/28/2022
- HEERFIII/ARP: $3,088,479 allocated funds: 1217 (duplicated) students were awarded $3,088,479 in HEERFIII funds
- HEERFIII/SAHIE $950,000 allocated funds: 251 (duplicated) students were awarded $950,000 in HEERFIII/SAHIE funds
- HEERFIII/MSI $250,000 allocated funds: 156 (duplicated) were awarded $262,007 in HEERFIII/MSI funds
COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, And Economic Security (Cares) Act / Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERFII) And American Rescue Plan (HEERFIII):
Hawai’i Pacific University [HPU] provides important information regarding the CARES Act stimulus signed into law by the U.S. Congress on March 27, 2020 where a portion of these funds were allocated for higher education in the form of emergency grants for students, and, financial support for schools during the pandemic.
The portion of the higher education allocation in the Act were provided to schools based on the formula stipulated in the legislation for the following purpose only:
- Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds [HEERF] in the form of
- Emergency Financial Aid Grants for Students
- Institutional financial support to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the disruption of educational activities
- Minority Serving Institution [MSI]
- Grants to institutions particularly impacted by the coronavirus, to be administered through the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education [FIPSE] *Priority of these grants went to small institutions who received less than $500,000 under the HEERF
Accordingly, the following information must appear on the HPU website in a format and location that is easily accessible to the public 30 days after the date when the institution received its allocation under 18004(a)(1) and updated every 45 days thereafter:
- An acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned to the department the certification and agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to 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.
Hawai’i Pacific University had signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement to provide assurance that 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act will be used to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. Federal Funding Period: 04/24/2020 – 04/23/2021.
- The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the department pursuant to the institution’s certification and agreement [for] emergency financial aid grants to students.
HPU had obtained $939,850 from the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to the Certificate and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. The purpose of the HEERF Emergency Financial Aid Grants is to provide grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, childcare expenses, and other expenses caused by the disruption.
CARES ACT: $939,850 allocated funds
HEERFII/CRRSSA: $938,850 allocated funds
HEERFIII/ARP: $3,088,479 allocated funds
HEERFIII/SAIHE: $950,000 allocated funds
HEERFIII/ARP-MSI: $250,000 allocated funds
- The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under section 18004(a)(1) of the cares act as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the 30-day report and every 45 days thereafter).
As of September 30, 2020, HPU distributed $687,000 in awards of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of December 31, 2020, HPU distributed an additional $216,134.46 in awards of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of December 31, 2020, HPU distributed a total of $903,134.46 in awards of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
- The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under section 484 in title iv of the higher education act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants to students under section 18004(a)(1) of the cares act.
An estimated 3,273 students were enrolled and approximately 2,997 were eligible for the CARES Act funds for spring 2020. Not all 2,997 students were FAFSA filers. HPU provided an opportunity for all students to complete a FAFSA and a survey. HPU had an application process for those students applying for CARES Act funding. HPU utilized the FAFSA process to certify that applicants were eligible for Title IV funding. Students did not have to receive FSA Title IV funds to be eligible for the CARES Act funding, only be determined as an eligible student through the FAFSA process.
- The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant to students under section 18004(a)(1) of the cares act.
As of September 30, 2020, HPU distributed awards of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 234 HPU students.
As of December 31, 2020, HPU distributed awards of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to an additional 251 HPU students (duplicated).
As of December 31, 2020, HPU distributed awards of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 485 (duplicated) HPU students.
As of June 30, 2021, HPU had distributed all CARES Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 502 (duplicated) HPU students.
- The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive the initial emergency financial aid grants and how much they would receive under section 18004(a)(1) of the cares act.
Cares Act initial funding determination (19-20 award year)
Level 1 priority award amount range $3,300 - $4,600 (19-20 award year)
- COVID-19 related illness has affected student, spouse, or family
- Spouse laid off from work student unemployed
- Both parents lost their jobs related to the COVID-19 actions
- Student, spouse, parent(s) if returned home unable to pay rent/mortgage, health insurance, electric, etc.
- Student rent etc. or apartment may be lost and face homelessness
- Student, spouse, or parent(s) furloughed due to COVID-19 actions
- Student transportation impacted, repair,
Level 2 priority award amount range $2,600 - $3,500 (19-20 award year)
- Student temporarily laid off or furloughed
- Student applied for unemployment insurance and having difficulty as payments not received as of request date or does not qualify
- A parent lost employment due to COVID-19 actions
Level 3 priority award amount range $2,300 - $2,800 (19-20 award year)
- Neither of the above scenarios was provided in the survey responses, but the student indicated that they were impacted.
Level 4 priority award amount range $1,000 - $1,350 (19-20 award year)
- No information was provided by the student in the survey. Required review of documentation in application to validate priority
Emergency financial aid grants will also be issued to the approximately 475 incoming residential students to ameliorate the costs associated with state-ordered quarantine and modified quarantine procedures designed to further the health and safety of campus operations and the island community during the coronavirus pandemic. The emergency financial grants will be used for emergency housing, transportation, and food per diem during any period of mandatory quarantine following transpacific travel to Hawaii.
Residential students whose insurance does not fully cover the cost of an in-state PCR (health care) test, obtained in anticipation of State-approved modified quarantine procedures following transpacific travel to Hawaii, will be reimbursed up to $150.00 for a PCR test.
FALL 2020 AWARDS
Emergency financial aid grants were issued to 250 incoming residential students to ameliorate the costs associated with state-ordered quarantine and modified quarantine procedures designed to further the health and safety of campus operations and the island community during the coronavirus pandemic. The emergency financial grants will be used for emergency housing, transportation, and food per diem during any period of mandatory quarantine following transpacific travel to Hawaii and a COVID-19 test.
Residential students also received direct funds to offset any other mandatory testing costs.
- Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants.
Students were provided an email that directed them to complete a brief confidential survey that enabled HPU to understand how each financial situation clearly was impacted by the economic circumstances related to the coronavirus. The application students access for CARES Act relief does not mean the applicant will automatically receive monies. Funds were awarded based on available funding and capacity for the support to help the student in this time of need.
Examples of what MAY have been funded through the Student CARES Act Emergency Assistance to support students who were experiencing financial hardship due to the impact of the coronavirus include:
- To assist with the costs of food and household essentials if your income has been affected because of COVID-19 (e.g. job loss, reduced hours at work );
- To assist with costs of unexpectedly studying online (g. loan of a laptop, mobile data if no Wi-Fi is available at home);
- Travel and transit accommodation cost for on-campus students who are unexpectedly had to return to the family residence home (e.g. mainland home) or the need to self-isolate as required by COVID 19;
- To assist with family emergencies due to the pandemic
The Department of Education announced that students must be eligible for Title IV aid to qualify for the CARES Act relief grants. Title IV eligibility is required for the distribution of relief funds, and a student must have submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2019-2020 academic year.
All students who have a 19/20, 20/21 ISIR/SAR were eligible for the funds, regardless if the student received or accepted federal financial aid awards.
HEERFII/CRRSSA Awarding determination (all funds have been awarded)
HEERFII Funds were disbursed in 3 rounds *duplicated student count
Round 1 was awarded to students with financial need as determined by the United States Department of Education (ED) EFC 0-13999. The funds were used to offset costs associated with the COVID disruption in the dorms for the spring 2021 semester.
- 14 students: $25,678.70
Round 2 (part 1) was awarded to students, with an EFC 0-13999, to help offset institutional charges. Students authorized the HEERFII funds to assist with the payment of balances up to $8000 for students with a 0 EFC. (part 2) was awarded to students enrolled for spring and summer 2021 starting with a 0 EFC until funds were exhausted.
- 349 students: $858,171.29
Round 3 was awarded to students in a 0-13999 EFC range whose Honors Study Abroad program was disrupted by COVID.
- 14 students: $56,000.00
HEERFIII/ARP/SAHIE/MSI
The first round of HEERF III funds were made available to students with an EFC between 0 and 30,000 with an outstanding institutional balance(s) as of March 17, 2020 (Spring 2020) through the end of the Fall 2021 semester. Identified students received an email notification from the HPU Financial Aid Office with a link to an authorization form.
Students may authorize HPU to apply funds to outstanding balances that occurred after March 17, 2020.
The remaining HEERFIII/ARP/SAHIE/MSI funds were awarded to students starting with a -0- EFC higher and were expended primarily to Federal Pell eligible students. In addition, if the student qualified for the SAHIE/MSI funds they were considered, and some awarded until funds were spent.
All HEERFIII/ARP/SAHIE/MSI funds were awarded as of February 28, 2022.
SUMMARY AWARDING 12/30/2021
- CARES ACT: $939,850 allocated funds
- 502 (duplicated) students were awarded $939,850 in CARES funds
- HEERFII/CRRSSA: $939,850 allocated funds
- 377 (duplicated) students were awarded $939,850
- HEERFIII/ARP: $3,088,479 allocated funds
- 267 (duplicated) students were awarded $413,135
- HEERFIII/SAHIE $950,000 allocated funds
- 50 (duplicated) students were awarded $147,743
- HEERFIII/MSI $450,000 allocated funds
- 136 (duplicated) were awarded $177,230
Final: SUMMARY AWARDING 02/28/2022
- HEERFIII/ARP: $3,088,479 allocated funds
- 1217 (duplicated) students were awarded $3,088,479
- HEERFIII/SAHIE $950,000 allocated funds
- 251 (duplicated) students were awarded $950,000
- HEERFIII/MSI $250,000 allocated funds
- 156 (duplicated) were awarded $262,007
HPU CARES/HEERF Page Update Dates:
- Oct 30, 2020
- June 30, 2022
- October 7, 2022
- January 10, 2023