CARES Act

Distribution of CARES Act Funding to Students

CARES Act Update: October 21, 2020

On October 13, 2020 we notified the University Community of the continued availability of CARES funding and our distribution so far.  In response to that notification we received over 300 additional applications for funding.  We have now fully allocated all CARES act funding to University of Redlands students and are no longer accepting new applications.  If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact Student Financial Services at SFS@redlands.edu or 909-748-8047 to discuss your options.

To: University Community
From: Kevin Dyerly, Vice President for Finance & Chief Financial Officer; and Emily Baker, Senior Director of Student Financial and Military and Veterans Services
Date: October 13, 2020
Subject: Distribution of CARES Act Funding to Students and Technology Support

University of Redlands received funding to assist students through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by the U.S. Congress on March 27. After the initial distribution of this funding to help students through the spring and summer disruption of campus, U of R continues to allocate these funds to students through direct grants to support technology upgrades, transportation, food, or housing. To date, we have awarded over $1.5 million in CARES funding in the form of direct grants to students. CARES distributions through the application process have supported students with technology (71%), living (18%), travel (9%), and other expenses (2%).

If you are experiencing difficulty with an outdated laptop, spotty wi-fi, or other technology for your online classes, please consider submitting an application for CARES funding.

For any questions or concerns regarding your financial aid, student account, or CARES funding, please contact Student Financial Services at SFS@redlands.edu or 909-748-8047.

_________________________________

To: University Community
From: Kevin Dyerly, vice president for enrollment, and Emily Baker, director of Student Financial Services
Date: April 30, 2020

We are pleased to announce that University of Redlands has received funding to assist students through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by the U.S. Congress on March 27.  We are writing today to let you know how the money will be distributed to our students. 

The CARES Act specifies that funds, in the way of direct cash grants, should be used to assist students with “expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.” While the legislation limits eligibility for CARES Act funds only to students eligible to receive federal financial aid, excluding assistance to DACA and international students, the University will use its own funds to pay the same level of aid to all eligible students as outlined below.

The CARES Act allocation formula gave the heaviest weight to the percentage of Pell Grant recipients an institution enrolls.  The Act directed institutions to prioritize aid to students who demonstrate the highest financial need.  In order to quickly assist our students, we have identified the following groups to receive funds.

Students With Financial Need Who Moved Out of Residence Halls

Students with the greatest financial need who had to transition off campus will receive money to cover costs associated with their move and the interruption of access to University facilities. Pell Grant recipients will receive $1,200; those who are not Pell Grant-eligible but have demonstrated financial need of $30,000 or more will receive $600.

No application is required; a check will be sent to the home address on record no later than the week of May 11.

Other Pell Grant Recipients

Pell Grant recipients from both College of Arts and Sciences and School of Business who were not living in the residence halls or using the dining facilities will receive $600 to cover accommodations to help continue their education (such as improved hardware or software at home, access to internet, video supplies, space, or other provisions).

No application is required; a check will be sent to the home address on record no later than the week of May 11.

Students Asked to Return From Studying Abroad

For students who had to return from study abroad programs, CARES Act funds will cover the cost of their return ticket based on proof of purchase.  Most of these students have already started the process of receiving a refund; questions on this topic should be directed to Andrea Muilenburg, at andrea_muilenburg@redlands.edu.

Other Students With Financial Hardship

We recognize that any student, regardless of degree program or previously demonstrated financial need, may have additional expenses and financial need that qualify for CARES Act (or qualify for institutional support for those students who are not eligible for CARES Act) funds. Hence, we have created an application to cover eligible expenses related to the disruption of campus operations; these expenses might include course materials, technology, transportation, food, or housing.  To apply, please visit the CARES Scholarship Emergency Fund Application

Applications for CARES Act funds continue to be accepted throughout Fall 2020 and will be reviewed based on the established criteria. For more information about the CARES Act and applying for additional funding, please review our CARES Act FAQs on this page.

The health, well-being and security of our students remains our utmost priority.  While no amount of funding could compensate for the full burden experienced by so many of our students and families in the disruption of campus operations, we hope the awarding of these direct cash grants assist many of our students in persisting with their educational journey at Redlands. 

If you have questions about CARES Act funding, please email sfs@redlands.edu.

CARES Act FAQs

What is the CARES Act and Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund provided by the federal government?

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. One section of the CARES Act established the Higher Education Emergency Relief fund and sent money to schools to use for emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the pandemic.  Guidance directly from the Department of Education can be found at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/caresact.html.

Each institution of higher education was provided a unique allocation of funding for its students.  The allocation was calculated based on the formula below:

  • 75% of funds were awarded based on the institution of higher education’s share of full-time equivalent enrollment of Pell Grant recipients.
  • 25% of the funds were awarded based on the institution’s share of full-time equivalent enrollment of students who were not Pell Grant recipients.

Full detail of this calculation can be found in this document.

When will CARES/Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds be available?

Funds will begin disbursing to students the week of May 11.

Who is eligible for the CARES/Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds?

The CARES Act requires that students be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, to receive emergency financial aid grants.  In order to document your eligibility, you must have successfully completed a FAFSA.  If you have not yet filed a FAFSA, you still can at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education does not allow these funds to be used for students not eligible to file a FAFSA, non-matriculated students, or students enrolled in distance-only degree programs. If you are a student from one of these groups, there are other types of emergency aid available from the University of Redlands.

What are eligible expenses for CARES/Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds?

CARES Act funds can be used to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.  Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, technology, course materials, food, and housing, which were incurred due to the disruption of campus operations.

Who will be given funds from the CARES/Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds?

The CARES Act directed universities to prioritize students who demonstrated the highest financial need, and the University of Redlands wants to provide economic relief quickly to students who have experienced additional expenses during the spring term due to COVID-19. We have used the CARES Act emergency aid funds to provide a standard relief grant of $600 or $1,200 per student depending on financial need and residential status.

Students who did not receive an initial allocation of CARES funding or who have unmet expenses caused by the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 may request assistance by filing a CARES Act Emergency Fund Application.

Why didn’t I receive an initial allocation of funding from the CARES Act?

Under U.S. Department of Education rules for the program, students who are not eligible for federal financial aid programs are not eligible for federal CARES grants. However, the University may be able to help you with emergency aid from other institutional sources. These funds are limited, but we encourage you to apply. We will review your request, and determine if we can offer you assistance.

If you did not receive an initial allocation of the CARES Act funding, it is likely because your situation did not appear to meet the criterion of greatest financial need. However, we know that many families’ income is in flux and you may have additional expenses due to the pandemic. We need to hear from you in order to determine if we can offer you funds, too. Please file the CARES Act Emergency Fund Application to help with your immediate needs, and consider filing a request for change in income or expenses for other financial aid funds for longer-term and future needs. You can find more information about changing your financial aid information on the Special Circumstances Review Form.

The following information is provided by University of Redlands as required by the Department of Education (ED) in order to comply with the reporting requirements under the CARES Act.  The University’s first 30-day progress report presents information as of May 21, 2020.  Additional reports will be provided every 45 days.

30 Day Report: 05/21/2020
45 Day Report Update 1: 07/05/2020
45 Day Report Update 2: 08/19/2020
Q3 Quarterly Update: 09/30/2020
Q4 Quarterly Update: 12/31/20
2021 Q1 Quarterly Update: 03/31/2021 – Final Quarterly Report

  1. On April 9, 2020, University of Redlands signed and returned to ED the CARES HEERF Certification and Agreement and has established a policy to provide the mandated amount of no less than 50% of the emergency financial aid grants to students.

  2. Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement, the University of Redlands is eligible to receive up to $1,694,010 in HEERF Student Share Grant Funds.

  3. Total amount of funds distributed to students as of report date:
    - 05/21/2020: $1,390,479.72
    - 07/05/2020: $1,438,168.97
    - 08/19/2020: $1,452,218.25
    - 09/30/2020: $1,558,982.59
    - 12/31/2020: $1,692,366.10
    - 03/31/2021: $1,694,010

  4. As of the Spring 2020 academic term, the University estimates that approximately 4800 students are eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore may be eligible for the HEERF Student Share Grant Funds.

  5. Total Number of students who have received a CARES HEERF emergency financial aid grant:
    - 05/21/2020: 1758
    - 07/05/2020: 1814
    - 08/19/2020: 1826

    - 09/30/2020: 1883
    - 12/31/2020: 1995
    -  03/31/2021: 1996

  6. Information on how the institution determined which students have received and can receive emergency financial aid grants is found in the above Distribution of CARES Act Funding to Students Memo.

  7. The campus community was notified of the process for distribution of the HEERF student portion on April 30, 2020 via the above Distribution of CARES Act Funding to Students Memo. Students who complete the application process are notified via their University of Redlands email regarding the outcome of their application.