COVID-19: CARES Act Allocation to Students

Covenant College has received $822,734 from the second round of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II) as a result of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). The HEERF II was provided by the CRRSAA to help mitigate the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education students and institutions. In order to receive these funds, Covenant College submitted a Certification and Agreement form to the U.S. Department of Education affirming that we would use 50% of our total award (which equates to $411,367) to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses. The $411,000, was fully allocated to 588 students out of an estimated eligible 850 students at Covenant College. 

The 588 students were determined by demonstrated financial need as well as an application process provided to all eligible students. Eligibility is based on the guidance from the United States Department of Education, which states that only Title IV eligible students can be granted HEERF II allocated funds, as determined in section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The application prompted students to select the following areas of his or her life that have been impacted by COVID-19: housing expenses, loss of income, course materials, food, health care, technology, child care, and other. These selections were based upon the April 9, 2020 letter from the Secretary of Education in addition to the guidance from the United States Department of Education. Additionally, the application contained an open-ended section for students to describe his or her specific situation in detail. Completion of the application was required by midnight on April 7, 2021, responses to students were emailed on April 13, 2021, containing the result of his or her application, including the amount of HEERF II aid to be allocated to them.

For review, students that have demonstrated financial need were provided a scaled amount of HEERF II based on their estimated family contribution. Secondly, upon review of the application, the student was given a specific number on a scale from 1-3. This number was based upon the reading of the application and subsequent determination on the severity, financially and otherwise, that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused for the student. The scale consisted of three levels of severity, low (0), moderate (1), and significant (2), each rank having a set amount to be awarded for that rank. Lastly, the scaled amount based on the student’s EFC and the amount based on their application score was combined to be the student’s allocation. The HEERF II allocation is provided to students via mailed checks and direct account allocation from the Covenant College Accounting Office to be mailed no later than April 30, 2021.