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Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds

American Rescue Plan Act

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act) provided an additional allotment of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding (HEERF III) to institutions of higher education. The following information is shared in accordance with federal government reporting requirements.

Central College acknowledges it signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding provided through the ARP Act (HEERF III). Central College will use at least $1,252,201 of the funds received for emergency financial aid grants to students, in accordance with guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education.

Student Portion Reporting

Fund Allocations

What is the total amount of funds Central College will receive or has received under the HEERF student portion?

Central College received $1,252,201 under the student portion of HEERF III to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Grants Awarded

Of those funds, how much has been distributed to students? How many Central students received an emergency financial aid grant?

In the Quarter ending June 30, 2021:
Central College distributed $0 to 0 students.
In the Quarter ending Sept. 30, 2021:
Central College distributed $15,654.88 to 8 students.
In the Quarter ending Dec. 31, 2021:
Central College distributed $990,241.71 to 731 students.
In the Quarter ending March 31, 2022:
Central College distributed $179,250 to 238 students.
In the Quarter ending June 30, 2022:
Central College distributed $11,250 to 15 students.
In the Quarter ending Sept. 30, 2022:
Central College distributed $55,804.41 to 100 students.

Cumulative

The estimated total number of students at Central College eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under CRRSAA and ARP Act (a)(1) is 1,400.

As of March 31, 2022, the total number of students at Central College who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under CRRSAA and ARP (a)(a) programs is 745. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students is $1,185,146.59.

Eligibility

How did the college determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much funding did they receive?

To be eligible for funding, a student must have been enrolled at Central College at the time of distribution (fall semester of 2021 or spring semester of 2022). A student’s 2021-2022 FAFSA on record with Central College’s Financial Aid Office was used to determine Pell Grant eligibility.

In October 2021, Central College e-mailed an online application form to all degree-seeking students. Students were asked to identify the reasons for their request and indicate how much funding was requested for expenses related to COVID-19. In addition, students were required to indicate if they wanted to receive their grant funding via a debit card or apply the funding directly to their student account. All Federal Pell Grant recipients could receive up to $2,000 and up to $1,000 non-Pell Grant recipients.

In January 2022, all students registered for spring classes that were Federal Pell Grant recipients were issued a $750 grant via a college-issued debit card. Debit cards were distributed via campus mail to all student recipients on February 11, 2022. These funds were issued without the students having to complete an application.

Communications

How did the institution communicate instructions, directions, or guidance to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants?

Students were informed (and will continue to be) of the availability of HEERF III funding through campus mail, college email, phone calls and other outreach from the Financial Aid Office and Business Office. In addition, the Business Office worked directly with individual students to provide guidance and answer questions.

Updated: April 8, 2022

CARES Act

Central College acknowledges it signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement on May 12, 2020, and gives the assurance that Central used no less than 50% of the funds received under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.

The total amount of funds Central College received on May 15, 2020, from the U.S. Department of Education for distribution to students is $464,289.
The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to Central students from 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of March 1, 2021, is $464,289.
The estimated total number of students at Central College eligible to participate in programs under section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 1,019. The total number who received a grant is 558.
All students receiving emergency financial aid grants under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act must meet these criteria:
- Undergraduate student enrolled in the spring semester of 2020.
- Eligible for funding under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
- A FAFSA on record with Central College’s Office of Student Financial Aid.
- Funding restricted to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.

To be considered for funding, students needed to apply. An online application form was posted on the college’s website and was advertised via emails and the DutchConnect app to campus multiple times. Students were asked to identify the reasons for their request and indicate how much funding was requested for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.

To distribute funds as quickly as possible, the following methods were utilized:

Emails about CARES Act funds were sent to all Title IV eligible students with a link to a CARES Act online application.
Checks were mailed to all student recipients on May 5, 2020.

Reports and Disclosures

Updated: Oct. 7, 2022

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