HEERF and CRRSAA reporting as of March 30, 2021

Students please note that as of March 25, 2021, all emergency relief funds received under the HEERF I, HEERF II, and CRRSAA fund sources have been exhausted and released to students.

Under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), South College received education stabilization funds designated exclusively for emergency financial aid grants to students.

Pursuant to guidance issued by the Department of Education through an Electronic Announcement published on May 6, 2020, and later updated on August 29, 2020, we are providing the following information about the funds we have received, and how, and to whom, we have distributed them.

For questions or concerns regarding this Fund Report, please contact emergencyrelieffunds@south.edu or Dr. Carol Colvin,  Senior Vice President of Financial Aid at ccolvin@south.edu.

Student Emergency Funding Allocation

South College’s policy for Distribution of Student Grants under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

On April 9, 2020, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced the U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) was making immediately available to postsecondary institutions emergency grants for students (‘emergency grant aid’) impacted by Coronavirus and authorized in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”).   These student grant funds are expressly stated to be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare).

The CARES Act provides institutions with significant discretion on how to award this emergency grant aid assistance to students. This document outlines South College’s planned approach for determining how to allocate these funds including distributing the funds to students.

Eligibility and Payments for the Spring 2020 term:

All ground students attending courses and programs during the April 15^th Spring 2020 quarter who were required to move to distance education as a result of the pandemic.  Students must be eligible for federal student aid, be in an active status after the April 29^th census date, be in good standing, and have incurred additional expenses as a result of the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The required move to remote learning, because of COVID-19, likely caused the following additional student expenses:

1) technology related expenses such as the purchase of hardware and software, and the establishment of sufficient internet services to support distance education;

2) disruptions to healthcare education programs and clinical training associated with impacted healthcare systems; and

3) impacts on students relating to job schedule/availability and resulting challenges in paying for food, housing, and/or childcare costs.

Students are asked to confirm this assumption by accepting the emergency grant aid award or to self-identify they have not incurred these additional expenses. Students who are in the cohort that self-identify as not having these expenses will not receive an emergency grant aid award.

Eligibility and Payments for the Winter 2021 term:

All ground and online students attending courses and programs during the January 2021 (Winter 2021 and Online Winter 1 and Online Winter 2) quarter were deemed eligible as the changes in instruction that was the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students must be eligible for federal student aid or if ineligible, have information on file to determine need for the distribution determination, be in an active status after the census date for the designated Winter 2021 term, be in good standing, and have incurred additional expenses as a result of the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The required move to remote learning, because of COVID-19, likely caused the following additional student expenses that were also realized by online students who lost access to public libraries and other facilities in which they were able to use technology resources:

1) technology related expenses such as the purchase of hardware and software, and the establishment of sufficient internet services to support distance education;

2) disruptions to healthcare education programs and clinical training associated with impacted healthcare systems; and

3) impacts on students relating to job schedule/availability and resulting challenges in paying for food, housing, and/or childcare costs.

Students are asked to confirm this assumption by accepting the emergency grant aid award or to self-identify they have not incurred these additional expenses. Students who are in the cohort that self-identify as not having these expenses will not receive an emergency grant aid award.

 Award Allocation:

The Spring term 2020 and Winter 2021 emergency grant aid was distributed to eligible students as follows:

Part time students are considered anyone with less than 10 credit hours in the spring quarter 2020 or winter 2021.

Eligibility and Payments for the Summer 2020 term:

All ground students attending courses and programs during the July 8th Summer 2020 quarter were required to move to distance education as a result of the pandemic for all or part of the regularly scheduled courses.  Students must be eligible for federal student aid, be in an active status after the July 21st census date, be in good standing, and have incurred additional expenses as a result of the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The required move to remote learning, because of COVID-19, likely caused the following additional student expenses:

1) technology related expenses such as the purchase of hardware and software, and the establishment of sufficient internet services to support distance education;

2) disruptions to healthcare education programs and clinical training associated with impacted healthcare systems; and

3) impacts on students relating to job schedule/availability and resulting challenges in paying for food, housing, and/or childcare costs.

Students are asked to confirm this assumption by accepting the emergency grant aid award or to self-identify they have not incurred these additional expenses. Students who are in the cohort that self-identify as not having these expenses will not receive an emergency grant aid award.

Award Allocation:

The Summer term 2020 and Winter 2021 emergency grant aid was distributed to eligible students as follows:

Part time students are considered anyone with less than 10 credit hours in the spring quarter.

Process:

Students in the eligible cohort will receive an email communication explaining the availability of the emergency grant aid award and the eligibility criteria. The email informs the student that we have assumed that the student has incurred additional expenses related to campus disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and if the student accepts the award, the student confirms our assumption. The student is also instructed to self-identify and inform us if additional expenses have not been incurred.

All emergency grant aid awards will be disbursed by a physical check mailed directly to the student from a newly created separate bank account that is not co-mingled with any of the school’s general operation accounts or other federal funding.  Included with the check is a letter stating that by depositing the check the student is confirming that he or she had applicable COVID-19 related expenses. The letter also instructs the student to self-identify and notify the school if additional expenses have not been incurred.

Job Loss:

Students, who seek additional financial assistance due to a job loss, will be required to follow the process for professional judgment income loss.  Job loss is not a qualifier for the emergency grant aid.

Distribution as of May 29, 2020
Distribution as of June 30, 2020
Distribution as of July 30,2020
Distribution as of December 31. 2020

First Notice sent May 5, 2020

Second Notice sent May 15, 2020