CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants

NOTE: ALL CARES STUDENT FUNDS HAVE BEEN EXPENDED.

APPLICATIONS ARE NO LONGER BEING ACCEPTED.

CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants

ABOUT

The United States Department of Education announced the specific funding that has been allocated to every postsecondary institution in the nation through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act recently passed by Congress and signed into law. Salem Community College will receive funds under the CARES Act to provide emergency grants to students.

ALLOWABLE EXPENSES

Students may receive emergency grants for unforeseen emergency expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. Eligible expenses include items in the student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

ELIGIBLE STUDENTS

Students enrolled in a program that met on-campus prior to the transition to online classes due to COVID-19 can be considered for the CARES Act emergency financial aid grants. 
 
The college aims to assist as many students as possible in meeting their emergency financial needs during this challenging time. We are all here to support you.

 

**Students may only submit one application**

***Limited Funding Available***

select the "Award Springs Emergency Scholarship" option

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below are the answers to frequently asked questions about the CARES Act Emergency Grants.

DIRECT DEPOSIT

Students can set up and enter your banking information for eRefund (direct deposit) by logging on to the student payment portal. To view the instructions to the direct deposit setup, please click here.

PAPER CHECK BY MAIL 

Emergency refund check will be mailed to student’s permanent home address on file. Please note that checks are mailed by default. It is crucial for students to make sure they always have their current address on file.

CARES ACT FEDERAL REPORTING DISCLOSURE

Certification and Agreement for Funding

Salem Community College applied for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Reporting- Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students as provided in Section 18004 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act” or the “Act”), Pub. L. No. 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (March 27, 2020) via signature and return to the Education Department on 4/16.  The College intends to allocate 50% of all funds received under 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Funding Amount

As determined via the methodology by the Education Department the College received $665,129, with half of those funds designated for use towards Emergency Financial Aid Grants.  A total of $332,565 will be made available to students.

Eligible Students

The CARES Act allows for funds to be disbursed to eligible students who experienced 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 child care).  Students who officially or unofficially withdrew prior to March 13, 2020, were registered for all online classes prior to March 13, 2020, and international or DACA students are ineligible.

Of Salem Community College’s 1008 registered students 597 completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the spring semester.

Instructions to Students

Salem Community College communicated to students via a variety of mechanism including email, social media, the Canvas LMS, and this webpage. The College additionally subscribed to AwardSpring’s Emergency Grant platform to allow for the online submission and awarding of emergency grants. Students will receive their grant via direct deposit or check delivered via USPS.

Examples of these communications are linked below.

 

Methodology

A CARES Act fund distribution committee evaluated and established a process and form of application for students to complete a documented request for funds to cover expenses they incurred as a consequence of Salem Community College closing its campus in Mid March and concurrently converting class instruction into a remote learning environment.

Consistent with specific documented guidance provided by the US Department of Education ("USDOE") In accordance with US DOE guidance the committee worked to design a process that would be equitable, address as many students as its funding allocation would reasonably address, and estimating to the best of its ability that the process would fund as many students as reasonably possible.

An initial sampling set of 120 completed applications provided excellent real time guidance for the committee to establish appropriate approval guidelines by both category and overall to best assure reasonable and equitable distribution to the most students possible.

Amount Disbursed to Students

The College is required to periodically report on the funds disbursed to students after the first 30-days after receipt of funds and every 45-days thereafter.

 CountAverageTotal
CARES (HEERF I)   
05/28/2020102707$72,118.00
05/29/202043731$31,427.00
06/09/202011,500$1,500.00
06/10/20201775$775.00
06/23/202028649$18,169.00
06/24/20202525$1,050.00
06/25/202013636$8,270.00
06/29/202013682$8,865.00
07/16/20205948$4,740.00
07/21/20205721$3,605.00
08/04/202031,313$3,940.00
08/13/20204930$3,720.00
08/17/202041,250$5,000.00
08/20/20202930$1,860.00
08/21/20201700$700.00
09/04/20209517$4,655.00
09/08/20205851$4,255.00
10/02/202088905$79,660.00
10/05/202067699$46,845.00
10/28/202032982$31,411.00
12/11/20202675$1,350
CRRSA (HEERF II)   
06/16/2021841402$338,000
06/17/20215440$2,200
06/24/20211800$800
ARPA (HEERF III)   
10/26/2021249753$187,400
10/27/2021736485$356,000
12/08/20214700$2,800
ARPA (HEERF III)   
03/02/2022927717$664,330
10/17/20221005$485$487,080
11/28/20223$780$2340

 

Source: IRP Reports; "Charge Credit Details"; fund (StiCARES, StiCRRSAA, StiARPA)

 

Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion and 18004(a)(3)

The College is required to report qualifying expenses under CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion and 18004(a)(3) no less than 10 days after each calendar quarter until funds are expended.  Reporting will be updated on 10/30/2020, 1/10/2021, 4/10/2021, and 7/10/2021 or until all funds are expended.  The College was awarded $332,464 under 18004(a)(1) [CARES Institution Portion] and $32,999 under 18004(a)(3) 84.425M {Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP)].