Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students
Quarterly Report, Revised January 10, 2021
Everglades University, OPEID 03108500, received education stabilization funds under Section 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Public Law No: 116-136. This Fund Report applies to the student portion received under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund that is designated exclusively for emergency financial aid grants to students.
The institution appreciates that Congress and the President have made these critical funds available for eligible students who have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. We take receipt of these federal funds seriously and are distributing them in accordance with the CARES Act and implementing guidance.
The institution is making the below information available for transparency purposes and in compliance with the U.S. Department of Education’s (“Department”) Electronic Announcement of May 6, 2020. For questions or concerns regarding this Fund Report, please contact Seeta Singh Moonilall, at [email protected].
- The institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. 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.
- 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 is $388,014.
- 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 this Fund Report is $388,014.
- 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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, as of the date of this Fund Report are 626.
- The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of this Fund Report 626.
- The methods used by the institution to determine which students receive emergency financial aid grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act are provided at Attachment A.
- Guidance provided by the institution to students concerning appropriate use of emergency financial aid grants are provided at Attachment B.
Attachment A
Everglades University has adopted a flexible approach to administering emergency grants to students negatively impacted by the COVID-19 economic crisis. In creating this policy, the University seeks to achieve five goals:
- To expeditiously develop and implement a plan to distribute CARES Act funds to Everglades University Students.
- To adhere to CARES Act requirements and Department of Education interpretive guidance in distributing funds.
- To create a process for awarding of funds that is defensible, replicable, and equitable – a process which will stand up to predictable future scrutiny (auditors, legislators, media, etc.).
- To distribute funds in a manner that best ensures student support in light of COVID-19 and economic challenges.
- To utilize existing processes and automate the awarding, distribution, and tracking process to the greatest degree possible.
Eligibility
Title IV (federal financial aid) Status. 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. If a student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then the student has demonstrated this portion of eligibility. Students who have not filed a FAFSA must do so before applying for a EU CARES Act grant. 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. To determine eligibility, follow this link.
Military Veterans
EU students receiving military benefits to pay for their education who have not completed a FAFSA will receive the maximum grant for their enrollment status as part-time or full-time. Those who have completed a FAFSA will be awarded CARES Act grants as according to the procedure outlined under “Initial Grants” below.
Online Enrollment
If a student was enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020, the date of the President’s Proclamation, “Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak,” Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 53 at 1533738, they are not eligible for CARES Act emergency financial aid grants.
Student Status
A student must have been enrolled as a full-time or part-time degree seeking student, and not enrolled 100% online, on March 13, 2020 to receive Initial Grant Aid I & II.
Initial Grant Aid – Phase I
In an effort to distribute aid to students in an expeditious manner, and recognizing that EU students disproportionately rely on income from the stifled Florida service economy, all eligible full-time and part-time EU students with an Expected Family Contribution (“EFC” generated by FAFSA application) will receive a one time grant. In order to qualify for this funding, students must have been enrolled as full-time or part-time degree seeking students, or on a University-approved leave of absence, on March 13, 2020.
One-time grant awards for EU students meeting all eligibility requirements will be made as follows:
- Full-time with EFC of $0 – $5,501 (“Pell eligible” for undergraduate students) = $700
- Part-time with EFC of $0 – $5,000 (“Pell eligible” for undergraduate students) = $350
- Full-time with EFC of $$5,502 – $15,000 = $500
- Part-time with EFC of $5,001 – $15,000 = $250
Students automatically received grant funds via check or direct deposit, depending on the preference indicated at registration.
Approximately 96% of CARES Act funds specified for students were distributed through Initial Grant Aid Phase I and students received notification of their grant awards, via EU email account, by June 5, 2020.
Grant Aid – Phase II
In an expanded effort to distribute aid to students in an expeditious manner, and recognizing that all EU students rely on income from the stifled Florida service economy, all eligible full-time and part-time EU students with an Expected Family Contribution (“EFC” generated by FAFSA application) received a Phase II grant. In order to qualify for this funding, students must have been enrolled as full-time or part-time degree seeking students, or on a University-approved leave of absence, on March 13, 2020. Additionally, 100% online students were not eligible for CARES Act student grants.
One-time grant awards for EU students meeting all eligibility requirements will be made as follows:
- Full-time with EFC of >$15,001 = $375
- Part-time with EFC of >$15,001 = $188
Students automatically received grant funds via check or direct deposit, depending on the preference indicated at registration.
Approximately 4% of CARES Act funds specified for students were distributed through Grant Aid – Phase II, bringing the cumulative total of CARES Act student aid funds expended to 100%. Students received notification of their grant awards, via EU email account, on or before June 30th, 2020.
Attachment B
Guidance Concerning Use of CARES Act Funds. The following guidance is provided in writing to all students receiving grants through CARES Act funds.
Please note that CARES Act grants are intended for “emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).” By accepting a CARES Act grant, you are attesting that funds will be used in this manner.
Everglades University has made good faith efforts to identify students eligible to receive CARES Act grants. By accepting emergency grant funds, you are attesting that you have successfully completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or are a military veteran receiving military aid to attend Everglades University who is eligible to file a FAFSA.
