What is the CARES Act - Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund - Grant Award?
What has OCC done to award the CARES Act - Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds?
OCC signed the Certification and Agreement form and submitted it to the Department
of Education on April 15, 2020 with assurance that 50% of the funds received would
be awarded directly to eligible students. The Department of Education approved the
Grant on April 25, 2020 and OCC received the ability to draw funds for OCC students
of $3,737,183 on May 12, 2020.
15,263 students were enrolled at OCC for Winter Term 2020 and an estimated 5,400 students
were identified as meeting the criteria of the CARES Act. OCC awarded grants from
$750 to $1500 per eligible student based on qualified credits upon completion of an
application to attest they incurred expenses due to the disruption of campus operations
due to the coronavirus. Awarding for Winter 2020 is now complete.
Eligible Summer 2020 students that did not previously receive a CARES award in the
Winter 2020 term have been awarded. Awards were $750 to $1500 per eligible student
based on qualified credits upon completion of the summer application to attest they
incurred expenses due to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.
Awarding for Summer 2020 is now complete.
Awarding has now begun for eligible Fall 2020 students that did not previously receive
a CARES award in the Winter 2020 and Summer 2020 terms with the remaining CARES funding.
Awards are $750 to $1500 per eligible student based on qualified credits upon completion
of the fall application to attest they incurred expenses due to the disruption of
campus operations due to the coronavirus. Grants for fall will be awarded on a first-come-first-served based until the grant
funds are depleted.
The CARES Act HEERF1 grant funds awarded by OCC are summarized as follows:
AS OF WEEK ENDING |
# OF STUDENTS AWARDED TO DATE |
$ AMOUNT AWARDED TO DATE |
May 22, 2020 |
1,128 |
$564,000 |
June 5, 2020 |
1,448 |
$724,000 |
June 26, 2020 |
2,089 |
$1,044,500 |
July 10, 2020 |
2,838 |
$1,419,000 |
July 24, 2020 |
2,901 |
$3,303,000 |
August 7, 2020 |
2,923 |
$3,328,250 |
August 21, 2020 |
2,938 |
$3,333,500 |
September 4, 2020 |
2,941 |
$3,348,500 |
September 18, 2020 |
2,970 |
$3,382,750 |
October 2, 2020 |
2,971 |
$3,382,750 |
October 16, 2020 |
3,039 |
$3,456,250 |
October 30, 2020 |
3,082 |
$3,501,500 |
November 13, 2020 |
3,130 |
$3,555,000 |
November 27, 2020 |
3,130 |
$3,555,000 |
December 11, 2020 |
3,132 |
$3,557,250 |
December 25, 2020 |
3,132 |
$3,557,250 |
January 8, 2021 |
3,132 |
$3,557,250 |
January 22, 2021 |
3,387 |
$3,868,500 |
HEERF1 awarding complete - utilized $131,317 of institutional HEERF funding for student
awards
|
The CARES Act HEERF2 grant funds awarded by OCC are summarized as follows:
AS OF WEEK ENDING |
# OF STUDENTS AWARDED TO DATE |
$ AMOUNT AWARDED TO DATE |
April 2, 2021 |
4,716 |
$3,310,450 |
Who needs to apply for the CARES Emergency Grant Award?
OCC students who faced expenses related to the disruption of campus operations during
the Winter 2020, Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 terms due to COVID-19, must apply for this emergency grant award on OCC’s scholarship application website. The current awarding term is Fall 2020. Awarding for earlier terms is now complete.
The application is simple and only takes a few minutes.
Am I eligible for the CARES Emergency Grant Award?
Funds were disbursed to eligible students enrolled in the Winter 2020 term as of March
13, 2020 or enrolled in the Summer 2020 term and awarding for these terms is complete.
Funding will be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis for eligible students
enrolled in the Fall 2020 term until CARES funds are depleted. If you previously received
CARES funding you are not eligible for and additional Fall CARES award.
In order to be considered for this award, Winter 2020 and Summer 2020 students must
have completed the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Any Fall 2020 applicants must complete the 2020-2021 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Unfortunately, students not eligible to complete, or who have decided not to complete,
the FAFSA application, or are ineligible for Title IV aid, will not be able to submit
an application for this CARES Emergency Grant Award. Other eligibility requirements
include having taken eligible credit hours (see FAQ on eligible credit hours).
What credit hours are not counted towards eligibility of the CARES Emergency Grant
Award?
Credit hours for courses that were completed before 3/13/2020 are not eligible.
What if I graduated at the end of Winter 2020, am I eligible for the CARES Emergency
Grant Award?
OCC graduates who attended in the Winter 2020 term as of March 13, 2020, and meet
the eligibility requirements are deemed eligible by OCC for the grant since they met
the criteria for the funds.
I am an international student, can I receive the CARES Emergency Grant Award?
No, International F1 students are not eligible to receive Title IV funds.
How much is the CARES Emergency Grant Award?
The award amount of the CARES Emergency grant is $750-$1500 per eligible student enrolled
in the Winter 2020 as of March 13, 2020, enrolled in Summer 2020 or Fall 2020. Award
amount is based on qualified credits. Awarding for Winter 2020 and Summer 2020 is
complete. Awards for Fall 2020 will be first-come-first-served based on application
date until funding has been depleted.
If I receive the CARES Emergency Grant Award, do I have to pay it back?
No, the CARES Emergency Grant awards are not loans or advance payments and do not
have to be paid back.
What student expenses is the CARES Emergency Grant Award meant to cover?
The CARES Emergency Grant award established by the Federal CARES Act is intended to
provide students with emergency financial aid grants for expenses related to the disruption
of campus operations due to the Coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials,
technology, health care, and child care.
Will the CARES Emergency Grant Award, if received, be used to pay the balance due
on my student account?
The CARES Act requires OCC to provide the emergency grants directly to the student.
OCC may not apply the funds to satisfy a student’s outstanding account balance. Specifically,
the guidance says, "The disbursement of the emergency financial aid grant to the student
must remain unencumbered by the institution; debts, charges, fees, or other amounts
owed to the institution may not be deducted from the emergency financial aid grant."
These funds must be delivered directly to the student by check, ACH/E-check or means
deemed appropriate by the institution.
If awarded the CARES Emergency Grant Award, how will I receive the funds?
Award funds must be delivered directly to the student using a means such as a check
or ACH/E-check. For faster refunds, we encourage all students to sign up for direct
deposit (ACH/E-check). Signup on MyOCC under the Student menu, Financial Profile, Bank Information.
What if I don’t qualify for a CARES Emergency Grant Award? What other financial resources
are available?
There are a number of financial resources available to OCC students, including for
those students who are not eligible for CARES Emergency Grant Awards. These include
OCC Foundation scholarships, Student Success Fund (please contact an OCC Counselor) and other resources coordinated through OCC’s Financial Aid office.
We also encourage all students to complete the 2020-21 FAFSA form which covers Fall 20, Winter 21 and Summer 21. Completing the FAFSA is the only federally
approved instrument that allows an institution to evaluate a student and their family’s
ability to pay for college. By completing the FAFSA, OCC’s Financial Aid office has
greater ability to work with students and parents with income reductions and other
changes that affect the family’s income.
Where can I ask additional questions about the CARES Emergency Grant Award?
Did Oakland Community College receive a CARES grant for Institutional expenditures?
Yes, besides receiving the CARES grant for emergency awards paid directly to the students
affected by the disruption of campus operations, the College also received another
grant in the amount of $3,737,183. The College has allocated expenses and used these
funds according to the federal guidelines and will continue to do so until the funds
are fully expended or one year from the date of the initial award (until approximately
April 2021). Quarterly expenditure reports are required. Click on the links to review
the quarterly reports: 9/30/2020, 12/31/2020, 3/31/2021.