Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
Reporting Requirements for
- Student Emergency Award Grant
- Institutional Aid Grant
- Minority Serving Institutional Aid Grant
May 6, 2020: Schreiner University is required to post on “the institution’s primary website in a format and location that is easily accessible to the public” the seven elements of reporting for the CARES Act.
1. An acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned the Agreement to ED and the assurance 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.
As part of the federal grant submission for the CARES Act funding, President McCormick signed the Funding Certification and Agreement for the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students on April 23, 2020. This documentation was submitted to the US Department of Education and included in the GAN Award Number P425E203377. In addition, Dr. McCormick also signed the Funding Certification and Agreement for the Institutional Portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Formula Grants Authorized by Section 18004(a)(1) on April 23, 2020, and the Institutional Portion for Minority Serving Institution Award under Section 18004(a)(2) of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund on May 5, 2020.
2. The total amount of funds the institution will receive or has received from ED pursuant to the institution’s Agreement for emergency financial aid grants to students.
Schreiner University has received or will receive the following funding from the CARES Act.
| Student Emergency Funding | $590,601 |
| Institutional Aid | $590,600 |
| HSI Institutional Aid | $86,247 |
| Total | $1,267,448 |
3. The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under §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 May 31, 2020, the total amount distributed to students is $548,600.
As of June 23, 2020, the total amount distributed to students is $562,900.
As of July 15, 2020, the total amount distributed to students is $574,900.
As of August 15, 2020, the total amount distributed to students is $590,601.
4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under §484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants under §18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness gathered the listing of students who qualified for the funding and found that a total of 919 students were eligible to receive the emergency financial aid grant funding.
5. The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant under §18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
The total number of students who received emergency financial aid grants is 919.
6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive emergency financial aid grants and how much they would receive under §18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
On April 27, President McCormick sent an email to all students informing them of the availability of government funding from the CARES Act. The following is a direct quote from his notification informing students of the two-part methodology that was adopted by Schreiner University administration. The methodology was presented by the Vice President for Administration and Finance, Bill Muse to the President’s Administrative Cabinet and it was approved unanimously on April 20, 2020.
“I write to you today with information about funds that the federal government is making available to you through the passage of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. The CARES Act calculated an allocation of funds per college, and the Department of Education has asked each college to determine how to disburse these funds to eligible students. The CARES Act includes the following stipulations for who cannot receive these funds: students that were enrolled in online programs before the onset of COVID-19 are not eligible to receive these funds, and students who are not eligible to receive federal financial aid are not eligible for these funds either. It is not yet known whether the federal government will determine if these funds are taxable. Although most people believe it was the intention of Congress to not tax these funds, this exemption was not specifically included in the CARES Act. Note, too, that if you are expecting a stimulus check from the CARES Act, this is not that relief. Stimulus checks are being disbursed through other means.
In an effort to expedite the availability of funds, we will be distributing these funds very soon, and in two ways. First, we are providing all eligible students a base stipend of $250. In addition, using the federal government’s calculation of a student’s EFC (an “estimated family contribution” to each student’s educational expenses), we will add funds to this base stipend so that students with a smaller EFC will receive a marginally larger allocation. Consistent with the Department of Education guidelines, these funds are being disbursed directly to all eligible students, with the purpose of helping to defray extra expenses you have incurred as a result of the COVID-19 disruption. We intend to have these checks in the mail to eligible students as soon as we receive these funds from the Department of Education.
Second, because we realize we do not know how COVID-19 has impacted particular students, we are reserving a special fund for students who have an acute need for additional emergency-relief. These funds are limited, are available through a simple online application, and will provide grants of up to $2,000. We anticipate that approximately 100 of these grants will be available. The application will be available this week in SchreinerOne so I encourage you to check there for further information. Of course, because these additional grants are limited and intended for those with the greatest need, not every request can be granted. I ask for your understanding and patience as we make these decisions.”
The following outlines the methodology used for the CARES Act Student Emergency Fund Disbursement.
Part 1 Methodology – Base Stipend
Following the guidelines from the CARES Act grant application, the following eligibility requirements were adopted.
- Title IV Eligible – Degree seeking students only
- Enrolled as of March 13, 2020
- Enrolled in a face to face instructional program for spring 2020
- Submit form/justification for Special Circumstance component
Therefore, students enrolled in specific instructional programs were identified as ineligible. They include:
- Online RN to BSN students
- Online MED, MBA, PCERT students
- International Students
- Non-degree seeking students: Greystone, Dual Credit, Co-enrolled, Auditors
The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness gathered the listing of students who qualified for the funding and found that a total of 919 students qualified for the base funding amount of $250. The EFC value was also included in the query and the following table illustrates the itemized amounts per EFC level. This amounts to $390,601, leaving $200,00 for part 2 of the student emergency funding – the Special Circumstance Award.
These awards were generated as a cash disbursement to students on the week of May 4th and checks were mailed out to students. Each student received a letter from Dr. McCormick using similar language from his original email notification. In addition, instructions on how to apply for the Part 2 component of the CARES Act student emergency funding were also included.
Part 2 Methodology – Special Circumstance Award – $200,000
An online application was created for students to submit their application for the Special Circumstance Award. The instructions, detailed below, were posted on the external website and included in the internal student portal – Schreiner One. The following is a snapshot of the online application students used for submission.
Additional eligibility requirements were included in the instructions as well as types of expenses considered. A committee gathered weekly (and continues to gather until the funds have been disbursed) to review applications. Each week, those students selected for the Special Circumstance Award are notified and cash disbursements are prepared in the form of a check the following business day for mail. Those students that did not meet the criteria are notified and asked to resubmit.
Eligibility Requirements
Per the CARES Act guidelines, students seeking financial assistance should be currently enrolled, must be degree-seeking at Schreiner University, and must have been originally enrolled in a face-to-face program of instruction at the beginning of the Spring 2020 semester. Those students not eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid are not eligible for the CARES Acts Student Emergency Funds.
Types of Expenses Considered
Examples of expenses that may be considered for funding include:
- Housing and living expenses like utilities
- Food and medication/prescription expenses
- Unanticipated school related expenses
- Replacement of belongings lost
- Unanticipated loss of employment
- Safety-related needs (e.g. emergency shelter)
Other Funding
Funding for the Institutional portion of the CARES Act as well as funding for the Minority Serving Institutions was used to reimburse Schreiner University for the student refunds issued on March 23, 2020 for room and board. The total refunds placed on student accounts reached $1.5M. The allocations from the CARES Act ($590,600 and $86,247) were used to help offset the revenue shortfall for the university.
7. Any instructions, directions or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants.
Information regarding directions and guidance to students are detail in component #6.
8. Information related to the Institutional Aid portions of the CARES Act.
Schreiner University has spent the full amount of the CARES Act Institutional Aid funding of $590,600. These funds were expensed on May 28, 2020 and used to offset the student refunds for room and board in the spring 2020 semester. The total amount of the room and board refunds to students was $1,495,690.80.
In addition, the HSI Institutional Aid funding of $86,247 were expensed on May 31, 2020 and also used to offset the student refunds for room and board in the spring 2020 semester.
HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure – September 2020
HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure – December 2020
Schreiner University received a supplemental amount of $732 for the HSI institutional portion in December 2020. These funds were used to help offset the room and board expenses from spring 2020. The final total for the first round of CARES Act funding for Schreiner University was $1,268,180.”
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Annual Report – 2021
Methodology for Student Emergency Fund Disbursement
On February 23, President McCormick sent an email to all students informing them of the availability of government funding from the CARES Act. The following is a direct quote from his notification informing students of the two-part methodology that was adopted by Schreiner University administration. The methodology was presented by the Vice President for Administration and Finance (Costley) to the President’s Administrative Cabinet and it was approved unanimously on February 22, 2021.
“I write to you today with information about funds that the federal government is making available to you through the passage of a second Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) package. These federal funds were sent to institutions of higher education so that they could provide eligible students an emergency grant with the purpose of helping defray extra expenses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 disruption. The Department of Education asked each higher education institution to determine how to disburse these funds to eligible students. Eligibility at Schreiner is limited to degree-seeking students only.
To expedite the availability of funds, we will start distributing checks this week. We are providing all eligible students a base stipend of $250. In addition, using the federal government’s calculation of a student’s EFC (an “estimated family contribution” to each student’s educational expenses), we will add funds to this base stipend so that students with a smaller EFC will receive a marginally larger allocation of funds. These funds are being disbursed directly to all eligible students by way of a check mailed to your home address or directly to your banking institution for those students who are already signed up to receive e-refunds.
Additionally, and because we realize we do not know how COVID-19 has impacted particular students, we are reserving a special fund for students who have an acute need for additional emergency-relief. These funds are limited, are available through a simple online application, and will provide grants of up to $2,000. The application is available in SchreinerOne under the Student tab so I encourage you to check there for further information. Of course, because these additional grants are limited and intended for those with the greatest need, not every request can be granted. I ask for your understanding and patience as we make these decisions.”
The following outlines the methodology used for the CARES Act Student Emergency Fund Disbursement.
Part 1 Methodology – Base Stipend
Following the guidelines from the CARES Act grant application, the following eligibility requirements were adopted.
- Title IV Eligible – VN, PCERT, and Degree seeking students only
- Enrolled as of February 9, 2021 – Spring 2021 Census
- Not necessarily Enrolled in a face to face instructional program for spring 2021
- Submit form/justification for Special Circumstance component
- Students do not have to have ISIR on file to receive funds
- Incoming students for Fall 2021 eligible for special circumstance grants
- Online students (UG and GR) receive base amount only.
Therefore, students enrolled in specific instructional programs were identified as ineligible. They include:
- International Students
- Non-degree seeking students: Dual Credit, Co-enrolled, Auditors, CCI Certificate students
The Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness gathered the listing of students who qualified for the funding and found that a total of 1,072 students qualified for the base funding amount of $250. The EFC value was also included in the query and the following table illustrates the itemized amounts per EFC level. This amounts to $414,650, leaving $175,951 for part 2 of the student emergency funding – the Special Circumstance Award.
included in the internal student portal – Schreiner One. The following is a snapshot of the online application students used for submission.
Additional eligibility requirements were included in the instructions as well as types of expenses considered. A committee has gathered (and continues to gather weekly until the funds have been disbursed) to review applications. Each week, those students selected for the Special Circumstance Award are notified and cash disbursements are prepared in the form of a check the following business day for mail. Those students that did not meet the criteria are notified and asked to resubmit.
Eligibility Requirements
Students seeking financial assistance should be currently enrolled and must be degree-seeking at Schreiner University. Those students not eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid are not eligible for the CARES Acts Student Emergency Funds.
Types of Expenses Considered
Examples of expenses that may be considered for funding include:
- Housing and living expenses like utilities
- Food and medication/prescription expenses
- Unanticipated school related expenses
- Unanticipated loss of employment
- Safety-related needs (e.g. emergency shelter)
Notifications regarding the Special Circumstance grants occurred at the end of spring break in March of 2021. Approximately $133,000 out of the $175,951 allocation was disbursed to students based on applications received before March 5, 2021. The remaining amount of $42,951 was reviewed by the committee in April and all funds have been awarded and disbursed.
Currently, the application for the Special Circumstance grants is closed. A total of $590,601 was issued to students for emergency grants.
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
Schreiner University received additional funding for student emergency grants as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 – also known or referenced as CARES Act – Round 3. On Monday, June 14, 2021, Schreiner University administration approved the methodology for the student emergency grants distribution including eligibility requirements. The following outlines the four components for the program.
The CARES Act Student Emergency Fund provides emergency financial support to students who are unable to meet essential expenses due to a temporary or unexpected hardship. Special circumstance awards are available and are only awarded once. Decisions regarding disbursement of funds are based on those students with the greatest need; not all applications will be awarded.
The Special Circumstance Awards are not considered loans and do not require repayment.
Student Emergency Grants Reporting
The following information is required, per U.S. Department of Education guidelines. This information is updated no later than 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter (September 30, and December 31, March 31, June 30) thereafter, unless the Secretary of Education specifies an alternative method of reporting:
(1) Schreiner University acknowledges that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
(2) The total amount of funds that Schreiner University has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs is as follows…
Round 3 only Total Amount Received – Student Emergency Grants = $1,764,477
Round 1, 2, 3 Total Amount Received – Student Emergency Grants = $2,945,679
No other funding for this program has been identified.
(3) The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the initial report and every calendar quarter thereafter).
Round 3 only Total Amount Distributed – Student Emergency Grants = $1,764,477
Round 1, 2, 3 Total Amount Distributed – Student Emergency Grants = $2,945,679
All funds have been received and disbursed to students as of the ending of September 30, 2021.
(4) The estimated total number of students at the institution that are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs.
Total Number of Students eligible to receive funding (Round 3) = 1,146
(5) The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs.
Total Number of Students who received funding (Round 3) = 312
(6) The following method was used by the Schreiner University to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs.
Eligibility Requirements
Part 1 of 3 Methodology – Special Circumstance Assistance to Return to School
- Allocate $264,477 to connect with students that were enrolled Spring 2020 through May 2021 and who are not enrolled for fall. Use funds to assist eligible students to return to school for fall 2021 semester.
Eligibility
- Title IV Eligible – undergraduate degree seeking students only
- Enrolled as of March 13, 2020 for spring 2020, enrolled summer 2020, enrolled fall 2020, or enrolled spring 2021 and not enrolled for fall 2021
- Enrolled in a face-to-face instructional program during the terms noted above
- Student must not be on academic suspension or financial aid suspension
- Submit form/justification for Special Circumstance Award
Therefore, students enrolled in specific instructional programs are identified as ineligible:
- Online RN to BSN and OBSAD students
- Online MED, MBA, PCERT graduate students
- International Students
- Non-degree seeking students: Vocational Nursing, Dual Credit, Co-enrolled, MAPP, Auditors
Part 2 of 3 Methodology – Special Circumstance Assistance for Persisting Students
- Allocate $1,000,000 to all eligible persisting students through special circumstance application portal.
Eligibility
- Title IV Eligible – undergraduate degree seeking students only
- Enrolled for fall 2021
- Enrolled in a face-to-face instructional program during the term noted above
- Submit form/justification for Special Circumstance Award
Therefore, students enrolled in specific instructional programs are identified as ineligible:
- Online RN to BSN and OBSAD students
- Online MED, MBA, PCERT graduate students
- International Students
- Non-degree seeking students: Vocational Nursing, Dual Credit, Co-enrolled, MAPP, Auditors
Part 3 of 3 Methodology – Special Circumstance Assistance for Incoming Students
- Allocate $500,000 to all eligible incoming students (freshman and transfer) through special circumstance application portal.
Eligibility
- Title IV Eligible – undergraduate degree seeking students only
- Committed freshman or transfer student for fall 2021
- Committed to a face-to-face instructional program during the term noted above
- Committed to a summer orientation session
- Submit form/justification for Special Circumstance Award
- Enrollment at census is not a condition of eligibility
Therefore, students committing to a specific instructional program are identified as ineligible:
- Online RN to BSN and OBSAD students
- Online MED, MBA, PCERT graduate students
- International Students
- Non-degree seeking students: Vocational Nursing, Dual Credit, Co-enrolled, MAPP, Auditors
Note: Special Circumstance Award – up to $6,495 per award per student
A committee will review applications and determine award status weekly until the funds are disbursed. Students selected for the Special Circumstance Award will be notified and cash disbursements will be prepared in the form of a check the following week for mail. Students may provide electronic or written consent to Schreiner University should they wish to have the award amount placed on their student account.
Those students that did not meet the criteria will be notified via email by the facilitator of the Special Circumstance Committee.
Types of Expenses Considered
Examples of expenses that may be considered for funding include:
- Housing and living expenses like utilities
- Food and medication/prescription expenses
- Unanticipated school related expenses
- Replacement of belongings lost
- Unanticipated loss of employment
- Safety-related needs (e.g. emergency shelter)
- Cost of attendance
- Mental health expenses
- Childcare expenses
(7) Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
As of July 21, 2021, the application for CARES ACT funding is closed. The total allocation of $1,764,777 from the US Department of Education has been awarded to students. There are no other CARES ACT funding dollars available at this time.
If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the Office of Financial Services.
Institution Reporting
The following information is required, per U.S. Department of Education guidelines. This information is updated no later than 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter (September 30, and December 31, March 31, June 30) thereafter, unless the Secretary of Education specifies an alternative method of reporting:
(1) Schreiner University acknowledges that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs.
Round 3 only Total Amount Received – Institutional Funding = $1,714,285
Round 1, 2, 3 Total Amount Received – Institutional Funding = $3,658,581
No other funding for this program has been identified.
Round 3 only Total Amount Received – HSI Institutional Funding = $219,136
Round 1, 2, 3 Total Amount Received – HSI Institutional Funding = $432,727
No other funding for this program has been identified.
The allocations of CARES Act Institutional Funding – Round 3 were awarded to Schreiner University throughout fiscal year 2021, however, funds will not be pulled down until fiscal year 2022. Noted below, the credits total $1,714,285. These funds were used to help offset the remaining balance of lost revenue from students that did not return to campus as well as those that did not commit. In addition, loss of revenue from summer camps are included as well as the room and board revenue from fewer students. These figures are based on the budget modeling for fiscal year 2021 (model 3.0 through 5.6)
| Period and Type | Received | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 3 – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 | |||
| Institution Allocation | YES | $ – | $1,714,285.00 |
| HSI Institution Allocation | YES | $ – | $219,136.00 |
| Students that did not return nor commit (balance) | $1,044,640.42 | $ – | |
| Summer camp revenue (Summer 2020) | $400,000.00 | $ – | |
| Room & Board Revenue loss from persistence & recruitment | $1,401,093.00 | $ – | |
| FY2021 Budget Model 3.0 (Prior to COVID-19) | |||
| Residence Halls Revenue | $5,087,806 | ||
| Board Revenue | $3,560,312 | ||
| Total | $8,648,118 | ||
| FY2021 Budget Model 5.6 at April 1, 2021 | |||
| Residence Halls Revenue | $4,524,736 | ||
| Board Revenue | $2,722,289 | ||
| Total | $7,247,025 | ||
| Difference of | $1,401,093 | ||
| Outstanding balance after credits applied: | $912,312.42 | ||
Note: COVID-19 expenses are not included (PPE, COVID-19 Tests, Security, Rental, Transportation Buses, Supplies, etc.) as well as time and effort of employees on the Emergency Response Team.
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Report Student Emergency Grants – Sept. 30, 2021
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Report Institutional and HSI Funding – Sept. 30, 2021
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for HEERF Institutional Fund – Dec. 31, 2021
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for HEERF Student Grants – Dec. 31, 2021
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for HEERF Student Grants – March 31, 2022
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for HEERF Institutional Fund – March 31 2022
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Report for HEERF Program – June 30, 2022
HEERF Year 2 (2021) Annual Report – Schreiner University
