Note: HEERF Grant is no longer available.
The federal government established the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This fund allowed Mohawk Valley Community College to provide emergency grants to students experiencing financial hardship specifically due to the disruption of campus operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. MVCC has completed the certification and agreement for this funding with the assurance that we will use no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide emergency grants for students. MVCC was allocated $2,184,406.00 for this purpose.
Who is eligible to receive emergency assistance?
HEERF (formerly C.A.R.E.S. Emergency Relief Grants) provided funds to students facing unexpected financial difficulty, emergency, or one-time hardships due to COVID-19, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and childcare. Grants awarded do not need to be repaid.
- Degree-seeking students must have been enrolled in credit-bearing courses during the semester the funds were being requested.
- Student must have had a proven record of academic progress verified by earned credits, GPA, and been in good academic standing.
- Student must have had a FAFSA on file with the Financial Aid Office for the 2021-2022 Academic Year or the 2020-2021 Academic Year when application was reviewed.
How can the grant money be used?
MVCC identified all Pell-eligible students during Fall 2021 who were enrolled and matriculated during the Fall 2021 semester.
- HEERF grants must cover expenses resulting from the disruption of campus operations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes technology and connectivity needs related to distance learning, books and other instructional expenses, housing/rent/utilities, food/groceries, medical/dental bills, child care, and transportation.
- HEERF grants cannot cover tuition or fees, legal fines/expenses, parking tickets/fines, and health insurance.
- Students with allowable expenses higher than the amount allowed under their EFC must explain in detail as to why they are requesting additional funds. MVCC reserves the right to request additional documentation to support the applicant's request for an award greater than the noted range.
How Were the Monies Awarded?
In Phase I
During the Spring 2020 Term, funds were awarded based upon an application submitted by the student. Students were required to complete an application for the funds. If a student applied and did not request a specific amount, the award was granted based upon the calculated EFC.
In Phase II
Effective November 24th of 2020, funds were not being expended to the population noted above through Phase I. A request was made to SUNY to allow for the remaining funds to be distributed based upon Pell eligible EFCs. A list of PELL eligible students was generated and all students awarded $725. Students who had prior awards were brought up to this level.
HEERF I/CARES I Data
Spring 2019/Fall 2020
MVCC Quarterly HEERFRequired Reporting - Institutional Share and Title III - June 2021
MVCC Quarterly HEERF Required Reporting - Institutional Share and Title III - March 2021
MVCC Quarterly HEERF Required Reporting - Institutional Share and Title III - December 2020
MVCC Quarterly HEERF Required Reporting - Institutional Share and Title III - September 2020
MVCC Quarterly HEERF Required Reporting - Student Share
HEERF II/Cares II (CRRSAA)
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, funds have been made available through the CRRSAA Act to award emergency grants to students for expenses related to your cost of attendance for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Eligible expenses include tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or childcare. MVCC has deemed you eligible, through a matrix formula provided by SUNY. Understand that it is your responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office immediately if you will not incur expenses that meet or exceed the amount of your emergency grant. This grant was awarded based upon EFC through an approved formula developed by SUNY. The approved rubric is noted below:
|
Enrollment/ |
0000- |
1501- |
2901- |
4301- |
|
Full Time |
$1,464.00 |
$1,281.00 |
$1,098.00 |
$ 915.00 |
|
Part Time |
$1,098.00 |
$ 915.00 |
$ 732.00 |
$ 549.00 |
HEERF III
Fall 2021/Spring 2022
Under the American Rescue Plan (ARP), passed by Congress and signed by the President in March 2021, a third round of funding was provided in the amount of $36.9 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III). The U.S. Department of Education (ED) allocated HEERF III funds to institutions in two portions. Similar to the HEERF I and HEERF II funding, one portion focused on providing emergency grants to students and the other portion focused on campus needs, albeit with the strong recommendation to use the latter funds to provide additional student emergency grants.
Based on the ED allocations table, MVCC received $7,610,833.00 in HEERF III Student Aid Funds.
Student emergency grants are to be used by the student for expenses related to any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Eligible expenses include tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or childcare. The amount awarded to each student is not a loan and will not need to be paid back and does not affect student's financial aid award for academic year 2021-2022. It is the student's responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office immediately if they will not incur expenses that meet or exceed the amount of their emergency grant.
How Will the Funds be Awarded?
Fall 2021
MVCC established a rubric approved by SUNY to disburse funds based upon Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and Enrollment Status of Full Time and Part Time. Students who have filed a 2021-2022 FAFSA and have an EFC from 0 -14615 were awarded funds as a block grant based upon the rubric below.
|
Enrollment/ |
0000- |
2924- |
5847- |
8770- |
11693- |
|
Full Time |
$2250 |
$2000 |
$1750 |
$1500 |
$1250 |
|
Part Time |
$1750 |
$1500 |
$1250 |
$1000 |
$750 |
As of September 30, 2021, 2065 students were awarded $4,142,250.00. Part of the student
financial grant fund was reserved for Spring 2022 semester.
Spring 2022
MVCC established a rubric approved by SUNY to disburse funds based upon Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and Enrollment Status of Full Time and Part Time. Students who have filled a 2021-2022 FAFSA and have an EFC from 0 -14615 were awarded funds as a block grant based upon the rubric below.
|
Enrollment/ |
0000- |
2924- |
5847- |
8770- |
11693- |
||||||
|
Full Time |
$3,150 |
$2,800 |
$2,450 |
$2,100 |
$1,750 |
Part Time |
$2,450 |
$2,100 |
$1,750 |
$1,400 |
$1,050 |
As of April 1, 2022, students were awarded $9,229,545.00.In addition to the block
grant noted above, a Discretionary Award has been developed for students: a) Who have
an EFC greater than 14,615 b) Who have not/will not file a FAFSAc) Who require more
funds than awarded (not to exceed $3,150 total) d) Who had been a student in a prior
term (March 2020 or later) and were impacted by COVID-19 and have not received HEERF
funding.For students noted in this section an application process has been developed
and if a student believes they meet the parameters of a, b, c, or d above, they may
request funding through the link below.Click to Complete HEERF III Application