CARES Act HEERF Disbursement Report

Due to COVID-19, the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) was established to provide funding to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet.

Certification and Agreement Acknowledgement

Southwest Technology Center (SWTC) has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the US Department of Education with the assurance that SWTC has used 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.

Total amount of funds that SWTC has received from the US Department of Education pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students: $56,772

Total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission of this report (6/5/2020): $44,225, (6/11/2020): $4,350, (6/26/2020): $725, (9/25/2020) $7,472

The estimated total number of students at SWTC that are eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act: 80

The total number of students at SWTC who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to Students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission of this report (6/5/2020): 68 Note: Checks will continue to be cut to students every Thursday (available for pick up beginning Friday mornings from 8:00 am to 11:00 am and continuing Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm) for students whom turn in an application the prior Thursday through Wednesday. As of 9/24/2020 only 68 were determined to be the maximum eligible students meeting all criteria below.

The method used by SWTC to determine which students received Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act:

SWTC determined that distribution would be a straight proration to all eligible post-secondary students enrolled in an approved program as of March 13, 2020.

To determine eligibility the Financial Aid Director contacted each student individually by email and followed up with phone calls:

To confirm that they had expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 shutdown
To verify that they met the requirements of Section 484 of the Higher Education Act for Title IV eligibility
Screened all students for eligibility under section 484 by Selective service and NSLDS
Student enrollment status was verified by enrollment rosters and direct contact with applicable instructors
Emailed and mailed SWTC Cares Act eligibility application, Cares Act Higher Ed Emergency relief (HEERF) and Stimulus Scholarship application to all potentially eligible students

Student Eligibility Determination:

In order to be eligible for these funds, a student must:

Have been enrolled as a post-secondary student at Southwest Technology Center in an approved program as of March 13, 2020
Be eligible for Title IV Financial Aid funds
Be a US Citizen or eligible Non-Citizen
Have a valid Social Security Number
Have registered for the Selective Service (if male)
Have a High School Diploma/Transcript, Homeschool Diploma/Transcript, or GED
Have maintained Satisfactory Academic Progress
Not be in default on any Title IV loan or owe an overpayment on any Title IV grant or loan
Not have been convicted of a crime involving fraud in obtaining federal Title IV funds
Not have fraudulently received or repaid Title IV loans in excess of the annual or aggregate limits
Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations
Have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 shutdown which began on March 23, 2020
Attest under penalty of perjury that he/she meets the requirements of Section 484 of the HEA
Attest that he/she intends to use the funds for COVID-19 related expenses (such as technology expenses, course materials, housing, food, childcare, healthcare, etc.)

Student Documentation:

A Student SWTC Cares Act eligibility application was created to serve as documentation that each student had expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 shutdown. Students signed the form attesting under the penalty of perjury that they met the requirements of Section 484 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) and intend to use the funds for COVID-19 related expenses.

Per USDE Secretary DeVos, “Students may demonstrate eligibility by completing a FAFSA…..or by completing an application designed by the institution in which the student attests under the penalty of perjury to meeting the requirements of Section 484 of the HEA.”The Funding Certification and Agreement that SWTC signed, further states “The Secretary does not consider these individual emergency financial aid grants to constitute Federal financial aid under Title IV of the HEA.”

For students that had not completed a FAFSA, SWTC did its due diligence to verify that the students met the requirements of Section 484 of the HEA and are therefore eligible to receive the HEERF funds.

Documentation for the HEERF funds are kept in a file in the Financial Aid Office.

Student SWTC Cares Act eligibility application, Cares Act Higher Ed Emergency relief (HEERF) and Stimulus Scholarship application.
Student FAFSA (if one has been completed – not required by HEERF or USDE)
SAP compliance (including attendance and grades)
Selective Service registration (if male and if no FAFSA has been completed)
Copy of High School Diploma/Transcript, Homeschool Diploma/Transcript, or GED
NSLDS documentation verifying that the student is not in default on any Title IV loan and doesn’t owe an overpayment on any Title IV grant or loan
Signed check stub

The method used by SWTC to determine how much each student received for Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act: Distribution was determined by dividing the allocation of $56,772 by the number of postsecondary students that were determined to be eligible if they completed and returned the student HEERF Attestation form- 80 students. ($56,772 / 80 students = $709.65 per student-SWTC elected to round this amount up to $725 to allow for the potential students that may choose not to complete the student SWTC Cares Act eligibility application. If all 80 students complete and submit this form, SWTC will fund the additional $1,228 to meet all obligations to the 80 potential students. If all funds are not disbursed by this method, the balance will be disbursed as emergency funds to those students that demonstrated an unusual financial hardship on the Stimulus Scholarship application. On 9/24/2020, The maximum number of students was determined to be 68 that met all criteria above. The balance of funds on that date, $7,472 was divided between the 68 eligible students and each was disbursed a second check in the amount of $109.89