CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid

The CARES Act funds for HEERF I and II funds were fully depleted and disbursed as of May 31, 2021. This quarterly posting is the final report that covers HEERF I and II fund expenditures for Section 18004(a)(1) Student Portion Funds.

In response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Congress passed the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid, which provides $6.3 billion in direct support to institutions. North Carolina Central University signed and returned the Certification of Agreement to the Department of Education on April 13, 2020, which authorized $8.9 million for institution support and student assistance. The university will disseminate $4,466,117 as emergency financial aid grants for students in accordance with the CARES Act regulatory requirements.

The university established a CARES Act Emergency Relief Aid task force to review guidelines and establish criteria for disbursement of the student relief aid. Funding assistance was to all students with a valid FAFSA who met Title IV eligibility requirements to cover a student’s expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, including, but not limited to the following:

• Food;
• Housing, such as having to move off campus when residence halls closed;
• Course materials;
• Healthcare;
• Childcare;
• Technology-related expenses, such as having to purchase a computer when the student's courses are moved online; and
• Transportation, such as having to secure a flight to return home because classes were canceled or residence halls were closed or having to return from study abroad when the program is canceled.

To qualify for the CARES Act Emergency Relief Aid, students had to have a valid FAFSA application on file and meet all Title IV eligibility requirements, such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Be enrolled in a degree or certificate program as of March 27, 2020;
• Be making satisfactory academic progress;
• Not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans;
• Not be in default on a Title IV loan;
• Have provided required verification documents;
• Have completed the statement of educational purposes and student’s SSN certification on the FAFSA application;
• Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen;
• Have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges;
• Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits.

Students who were not eligible to receive funds from the CARES Act were international, DACA, exclusively online students, and students who were not meeting Federal Title IV eligibility requirements.

Spring 2021

North Carolina Central University has received $4,466,117 through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II to support students who have experienced financial hardships as a result of the pandemic. These funds may be used for tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental), and child care. The funds will be disseminated to actively enrolled students as of February 15, 2021. The following students are ineligible for emergency assistance:  DACA, undocumented, international, inter-institutional, exchange, visiting, and withdrawn. The amount of emergency aid will range from $175 to $800. The funds will be disbursed automatically in a refund or check to eligible students in two payments: one in March and one in April. No application is required.   

Priority 1:  Priority Consideration for Students with Exceptional Financial Need

• All eligible students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0–$5,711 (Federal Pell Grant cut-off) as of February 15, 2021, (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral) will receive up to $500.  The funds will be disbursed in two equal payments in March and April. 

Priority 2:  Expected Family Contribution above $5,711 or No FAFSA

Eligible students with an EFC above $5,711 (Federal Pell Grant cut-off) or no FAFSA as of February 15, 2021, (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral) will receive up to $500.  The funds will be disbursed in two equal payments in March and April.

First Quarter (January - March, 2021)

The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant with HEERF II funds are indicated below:

Priority 1:  $1,799,800 funds were disbursed to 4,507 students

Priority 2:  $432,150 funds were disbursed to 1,725 students  

Second Quarter (April – June, 2021)

The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant with HEERF II funds are indicated below:

Priority 1:  $1,786,800 funds were disbursed to 4,467 students

Priority 2:  $447,367 funds were disbursed to 1,811 students

The HEERF II grant allocation of $4,466,117 has been fully expended and disbursed to students for emergency financial aid assistance.

Instructions, Directions, and Guidance

Students were emailed HEERF instructions on March 1, 2021.   

Spring 2020

Students received funding in the following three priority areas from the CARES Act Emergency Higher Education Relief Act and were awarded up to $1,200:

Priority 1:

• CARES Act Emergency Aid applicants who are Title IV eligible will receive up to $1,200.

Title IV Eligible Students:  1,842

Priority 2:

• All eligible Title IV students (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral) who did not submit a CARES Act Emergency Relief Aid application with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 to $5,576 (Pell cut-off) were offered up to $600.

Title IV Eligible Students:  2,890

Priority 3:

• All eligible Title IV students (undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral) who did not submit a CARES Act Emergency Relief Aid application were awarded $500 in EFC order beginning with $5,577 until the funds are depleted.

Title IV Eligible Students: 1,048

There are 5,838 eligible Title IV recipients, of which 5,791 (99%) students received the CARES Act Emergency Aid funds directly by direct deposit or check; however, the funds will not reduce or offset account balances. The deadline for submitting a CARES Act Emergency Relief Aid Application was May 4, 2020.

Fall 2020

The University awarded $256,900 in additional CARES Act emergency aid to support nearly 1,000 students for the fall semester. The awards ranged from $271 to $272. Due to limited funding, the following packaging philosophy was adopted to disseminate the CARES Act funds on November 24, 2020:

• Pell Grant Eligible
• Zero EFC
• Full-time Enrollment Status

Spring 2020

The CARES Act Emergency Relief Aid supported 5,791 students. The student will receive an email notification when funds have been awarded. The first round of payments was distributed on May 8, 2020, to over 1,000 recipients. The funds will be posted to students' accounts and refunds disseminated before May 31, 2020, as follows:

We are very appreciative of the funding approved through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid for students. These funds have been disseminated in accordance with established policies. Recipients awarded the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Aid are meeting the eligibility requirements for Title IV Aid.