August 25, 2020-CARES HERFF I Student Funds Report-Final Report

July 27, 2020

Emory & Henry College (the “College”) acknowledges that on May 7, 2020 the college signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the college has and intends to use no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18001(a)(1) of the CARES act to provide Emergency Financial aid grant to students.

The college’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding was awarded on May 12, 2020, and we received $631,120 to provide students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. Eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance include such items as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care.

As of July 27, 2020, $ all of the funds have been distributed. $631,120 has been distributed to 1065 students under Section 18004(a)(1) to students either via paper check or e-check. There are currently 1100 students that are eligible to participate in the programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency funds.

$562,700 was distributed through June 12, 2020. For funds distributed through June 12, 2020 the following method was used to determine which students received Emergency Financial Grants and how much they will receive:

All Emory & Henry College students, both graduate and undergraduate, who were enrolled on March 13, 2020, and who have a completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form on file with the College, shall receive $250.00 to help cover expenses related to the disruption of their education. Students ineligible to file a FAFSA form under federal law include international students, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students, and those under 18 years of age who might be attending the College as part of a dual enrollment program.

Because the cancellation of in-person classes was especially impactful on residential undergraduate students who were living on campus and participating in a meal plan but were forced to move out and look elsewhere for food and shelter, residential undergraduate students will be awarded an additional amount depending upon their estimated family contribution (“EFC”) as determined by their FAFSA form. The following four bands (1 being the highest need and 4 being the lowest need) and amounts will apply: Band 1- $600; Band 2 - $400; Band 3 - $300; and Band 4 - $100. Thus, eligible undergraduate students will receive between $250 (base award) and $850 (base award plus band 1 financial grant for residential student).

After funds were distributed using this criteria, there was $68,420 of the $631,120 remaining to address additional student needs.

Between July 13, 2020 and July 27, 2020, we distributed $68,240 to 123 students who completed an application for additional funds after all funds were distributed based on the criteria described above. For funds distributed June 13 – July 27, we used the following method to determine eligibility and need for additional funds.

We created an application for the 1100 students that are eligible to participate in the programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency funds to apply for Students who completed an application for additional funds were asked to provide a description incurred expenses due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. There were 146 applications completed and after review, 123 eligible for funds. We reviewed applications and approved them based on what we deemed reasonable and attributable to the disruption including unexpected housing costs and electronic equipment for online learning.

The following information was shared with students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants:

Please note that students who are not claimed by a parent or parents as a dependent for federal tax purposes, which should include most graduate students, are eligible for $1,200.00 in federal stimulus funds provided they filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return. Visit www.irs.gov for more information.

In addition, the remaining CARES funds will be combined with a $33,333.00 grant received by the College from the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (“VFIC”) to create an application-based pool of emergency relief funds totaling nearly $100,000.00 provide financial assistance to students demonstrating extreme financial hardship.

Qualifying undergraduate and graduate students may apply for emergency financial relief. To be considered, applications must be received in the Financial Aid Office (scblevins@ehc.edu or ehfinaid@ehc.edu) by JUNE 22, 2020. Examples of the type of emergency and extreme hardship financial relief available includes:

• Replacement textbooks, or e-book rentals, for students who were using library copies or sharing with friends, or were not able to retrieve from campus.
• Packaging and shipping or storage of personal items left on campus.
• Short-term support with food, rent, and or necessary personal items for displaced students.
• Short-term assistance with access to Wi-Fi service for students who do not (but could) have Wi-Fi at home.
• Providing laptops or Chromebooks for students who lack access to hardware for competing courses.
• Mental health assessment and counseling services with providers in students’ home communities.

For students returning next year whose family’s financial situation has been impacted by coronavirus or another change in circumstance, they are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to inquire amount the Special Circumstance Process, which could change the amount of financial aid awarded.

Emory & Henry College is committed to assisting students during these unprecedented times so that they may complete their education. For questions, please contact:

Scarlett Blevins, Director of Financial Aid
Emory & Henry College
P.O. Box 947
Emory, VA 24327
276-944-6229
scblevins@ehc.edu ehfinaid@ehc.edu

The following letter was sent with paper checks. An email was sent to those students receiving an e-check.

May 28, 2020

Dear Emory & Henry Student:

In an effort to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our students and their families, we are pleased to provide you with a check to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the virus.

Emory & Henry received $631,120 as part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act in order to provide emergency financial aid grants in the form of direct cash payments for such items as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care. The Internal Revenue Service has determined that these funds will not be considered taxable income. It is not necessary to provide us with documentation on how you use your funds.

The College opted to distribute the federal funds using the following approximate numbers:

• 47% of the funds will be used to make across the board payments of $250 to qualifying graduate and undergraduate students. To qualify, a student must be a United States citizen and must have had a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form on file with the College as of March 13, 2020. The way the law is written, international and DACA students do not qualify, nor do dual enrollment students.
• 42% will provide relief to qualifying residential undergraduate students who were most severely impacted by the cancellation of their room and board plans using a four-tiered ranking system ranging from $100 to $600 depending upon a student’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) on their FAFSA form. Undergraduate commuter students and graduate students are not eligible for this distribution.
• 11% will be combined with monies provided by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) to provide an application-based pool of just over $100,000 for graduate or undergraduate students demonstrating extreme financial hardship. The VFIC funds ($33,333) are available for all students, including those who did not qualify under the federal award criteria. Examples of the type of emergency and extreme hardship financial relief available by application includes:
• Replacement textbooks, or e-book rentals, for students who were using library copies or sharing with friends, or were not able to retrieve from campus.
• Packaging and shipping or storage of personal items left on campus. (The College intends to pay shipping expenses for any undergraduate student who could not return to campus after spring break to collect their belongings because of travel restrictions using VFIC money. No application is necessary.)
• Short-term support with food, rent, and or necessary personal items for displaced students.
• Short-term assistance with access to Wi-Fi service for students who do not (but could) have Wi-Fi at home.
• Providing laptops or Chromebooks for students who lack access to hardware for competing courses.
• Mental health assessment and counseling services with providers in students’ home communities.

A link for applications for emergency and extreme hardship financial relief will be distributed by email to all students and must be submitted by June 22 to be considered. You may also contact Scarlett Blevins, director of financial aid, with questions at scblevins@ehc.edu, at ehfinaid@ehc.edu, or at (276) 944-6229. Depending on the number of applications received, those additional funds should be distributed later next month.

Students who are not claimed by a parent or guardian as a dependent for federal tax purposes, which should include most graduate students, should be eligible for $1,200 in federal stimulus funds provided they filed 2018 or 2019 taxes. See www.irs.gov for more information.

For students returning next year whose family’s financial situation has been impacted by coronavirus or another change in circumstance, you are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office to inquire about the Special Circumstance Process, which could change the amount of financial aid awarded.

For more information about our federal COVID-19 distribution policy, please visit www.ehc.edu.

As we’ve announced, we are planning to resume in-person classes this fall, but that is contingent on circumstances. We are hard at work making preparations for a safe re-opening. Until then, please reach out to members of the faculty, staff, and administration if we can assist you in any way during these challenging times. Stay safe!

Sincerely,
John W. Wells