Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grants

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).

The ARP is the third stream of funding appropriated for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Taken together, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and the ARP, are referred to as HEERF I, HEERF II, and HEERF III, respectively.

Whittier College received its final grant of $2,523,096 from the Student Aid Portion of HEERF III in 2021 and completed all disbursements in 2022. Emergency financial aid grants could be used by students for any component of their cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care. Students determined how they used their emergency financial aid grant within the allowable uses. Whittier College certifies that it disbursed its HEERF III Student Aid funds directly to students prioritizing those with exceptional need as required by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

The Department of Education’s final rule on student eligibility for HEERF states that all students enrolled in an institution of higher education during the COVID-19 national emergency are eligible for emergency financial aid grants from the HEERF, regardless of whether they completed a FAFSA or are eligible for Title IV.

That includes citizens, permanent residents, refugees, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, other DREAMers, and similar undocumented students. International students may also receive HEERF. Institutions must ensure that funds go to students who have exceptional need. The Department encourages institutions to prioritize domestic students, especially undergraduates, in allocating this funding.

Grant amounts were determined by the following factors:

  • Pell Grant status for the 2021-2022 or 2022-2023 academic year;
  • Unmet Need as calculated by the Office of Financial Aid which factors in Cost of Attendance, Expected Family Contribution, and Need-based and Merit Aid.

Pell Grant Recipients

  • $3,500 maximum grant amount
  • $3,000 minimum grant amount

Non-Pell Grant Recipients

  • $2,750 maximum grant amount
  • $500 minimum grant amount

Distribution of HEERF III ARP Funds

Students were notified of their HEERF III emergency relief grant via email to their poets.whittier.edu address. Students were required to complete the HEERF III Response Form embedded in the email to accept the funds and choose the delivery method. Students were given the option to apply their grant to their outstanding account balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the HEERF III ARP?

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) is federal legislation that provides wide ranging financial relief to individuals and organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ARP appropriated over $39.6 billion to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) for institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whittier College was allocated $2,523,096 for this purpose.

ARP funds are in addition to funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Emergency funds available to institutions and their students under all emergency funds total $76.2 billion.

How will I be notified that I am receiving HEERF III emergency financial relief?

All HEERF III funds have been distributed. Students who met the eligibility criteria were directly notified by email sent to their poets.whittier.edu email address. The first round of notifications were sent the week of March 28, 2022.

How will HEERF III funds be distributed?

Students were asked to choose the disbursement method they prefer. Whittier College offered three options:

  • Apply the HEERF III grant to the student’s outstanding account balance, if any.
  • Deposit the grant directly to the student’s bank account. This option requires enrollment in Cashnet eRefund. Go to the My.Whittier portal. On the "For Students" page, click the "Online Payment and Payment Plan" link to securely enter bank account information to receive direct deposit refunds.
  • Mail a paper check to the student’s current address.

Students were required to complete and return the HEERF III Response Form by the deadline provided in the email to indicate their preference and provide affirmative consent. Failure to respond  resulted in the reallocation of funds to other students in need.

Do I need to repay the money?

No, you are not required to repay any emergency relief provided through HEERF III ARP.

Does this funding affect my other financial aid?

No. This is an emergency grant to help you manage unexpected expenses related to the coronavirus, and it will not have any impact on other financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

What if I still have an account balance?

Recipients had the option to authorize the College to apply the HEERF III grant to their outstanding student account balance by completing the HEERF III Response Form.

Are HEERF Emergency Grants taxable?

No, HEERF student relief grants are not subject to federal and state tax according to the IRS nor can they be claimed as a deduction or credit “for expenses paid with the grant including the tuition and fees deduction, the American Opportunity Credit, or the Lifetime Learning Credit.”

Who can I contact for more information?

Questions about HEERF III funding should be sent to heerf@whittier.edu.

On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced the availability of additional emergency funding through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) for institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whittier College received $939,775 from the Student Aid Portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II). Emergency financial relief grants for students could be used for any component of the cost of attendance at Whittier College or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care. In accordance with federal guidelines, Whittier College certifies that it distributed 100% of these funds under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants directly to students with exceptional need.

CRSAA Eligibility

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as Pell Grant recipients. To be eligible for CRRSAA funds, students were required to:

  • be currently enrolled for the Spring 2021 term;
  • have completed and submitted a 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
  • be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.

According to federal regulations, international and undocumented students were not eligible for CRRSAA funds. Ineligible students with emergency financial need were encouraged to explore Whittier College’s Emergency Funding and Assistance Programs.

CRRSAA Grant Amounts

To comply with the directive to prioritize students with exceptional need, Whittier College awarded grants to eligible students based on their Pell Grant Status, Graduate or Undergraduate Status, and Expected Family Contribution of $7,565 or less as determined by the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. Students selected to receive a 2021 Scott Scholarship were excluded from consideration in order to provide meaningful financial relief to the greatest number of students this Spring.

Grants were awarded as follows:

Status & Expected Family Contribution

 ≤ $7,565

 Maximum Grant Amount
Pell Grant Undergraduate Recipients $2,500
Non-Pell Undergraduates $2,250
Graduate Students $2,000

Distribution of CRRSAA Funds

Students were notified of their CRRSAA emergency relief grant by email to their poets.whittier.edu address. Students were required to complete the HEERF II Response Form embedded in the email to accept the funds and choose the delivery method. Students were given the option to apply their grant to any outstanding tuition balance.

Whittier College received federal funding through the 2020 CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I) to provide emergency relief directly to students and to assist the College with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations resulting from COVID-19.

Student Emergency Relief Grants made possible through the 2020 CARES Act have been fully distributed. Support was offered for the following categories of expense:

  • Food
  • Housing
  • Course Materials
  • Technology
  • Health Care
  • Childcare expenses
  • Other Expenses (The College may consider expenses that do not fit any of the above.)

This emergency student aid program was funded by a $939,775 grant from the U.S. Department of Education (PR/Award No. P425E202004). Whittier College acknowledges that it signed the Certification and Agreement and returned it to the Department of Education on April 13, 2020. The College further assures that of the total $1,879,550 received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, no less than 50 percent ($939,775) will be used to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Whittier College students.

CARES Act Eligibility

According to federal regulations, students enrolled in at least one face-to-face course during the 2020 spring semester were eligible for CARES Act funding if they completed a FAFSA application for 2019-2020 or 2020-2021; or
•    Met the Title IV eligibility requirements including but not limited to:
o    U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen
o    Valid social security number
o    Registration with the Selective Service if the student is male
o    High school diploma, GED, or have completed high school in an approved homeschool setting
International and non-U.S.-citizen students that did not meet these requirements were not eligible for CARES Act funding but were invited to apply to the Whittier College Emergency Fund for financial assistance.

CARES Act Grant Amounts

The College conducted two rounds of funding from May 13 through June 3, 2020. The first round was conducted through direct outreach to students who received Pell grants for the 2019-2020 academic year in compliance with the Department of Education’s instruction to prioritize students with the greatest need. The second round was open to all eligible students. Applications were reviewed on a rolling basis. The College received 361 applications and awarded 352 grants totaling $182,824. Since the volume of requests was unpredictable, initial grants were capped at $575.

Round One (Pell recipients)

The application opened on May 13, 2020, and was due by May 20, 2020.

Round Two (All eligible students)

The application opened on May 27, 2020, and was due by June 3, 2020.

Round Three Funding

In order to equitably and expeditiously distribute the remaining CARES Act funds awarded to Whittier College as of July 1, 2020, Emergency Relief Grants were disbursed to all eligible students enrolled in Spring 2020 based on Pell status and Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid form (FAFSA) according to the following five tiers.

 

TIER         

EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION        

GRANT CAP   

1

$0-$5,542 Pell Recipients

$800

2

$0-$5,542 Non-Pell Recipients

$650

2b

$5,602-$24,999

$650

3

$25,000-$49,999

$500

4

$50,000-$99,999

$350

5

$100,000-$999,999

$200

 

Distribution of CARES Act Funds

Students who received a CARES Act Emergency Relief Grant in Round 1 or 2 received a second grant up to the new grant cap. For example, a student who received an initial grant of $575 and qualified for $800, received an additional $225 grant. Students who already received a CARES Act Emergency Relief Grant that exceeded the new grant cap did not receive additional funds.

Students who had previously established with Whittier College had their CARES Act Emergency Relief Grant automatically deposited to the bank account on file. All other students received a check by mail.

Students with financial need who did not meet the federal requirements of the CARES Act, including international and undocumented students, were encouraged to explore Whittier College’s other emergency funding option.