Skip to Main Content

HEERF I – Student Aid Portion under the CARES Act

HEERF I – Student Aid Portion under the CARES Act

Erikson values our students and we are invested in your success. We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has created some very challenging circumstances for our students. To assist students who have been impacted financially, Erikson Institute is distributing CARES Act Emergency funding. This grant is from Erikson’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund Support Program funded by the CARES Act. The federal government has limited eligibility to students who were enrolled in on-campus programs on March 13, 2020. These grants are available for specific financial expenses resulting from campus disruption associated with COVID-19 and do not need to be repaid.

The CARES Act requires all colleges and universities participating in the program to provide access to the following information. This is the Institute’s final progress report regarding the HEERF I Student Share Grants and presents information as of June 30, 2021.

    1. Erikson Institute signed and returned the certification and agreement form as of April 20, 2020. This document is an assurance that Erikson Institute has used, or intends to use, 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.
    2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received under the HEERF I student portion is $20,594.
    3. Of those funds, the total amount that has been distributed to students as of the date of reporting is $20,594.
    4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant is 235.
    5. The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant is 40.
    6. Erikson Institute determined which students did or will receive emergency financial aid grants and how much funding they did or will receive based on the following. Eligibility guidelines were provided by the Department of Education regarding the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF):
        • “Only students who are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants. If a student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then the student has demonstrated eligibility to participate in programs under Section 484 the HEA. Students who have not filed a FAFSA but who are eligible to file a FAFSA also may receive emergency financial aid grants. The criteria to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA include but are not limited to the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.”
        • “At institutions that provide both online and ground-based education, those students who were enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020, the date of the President’s Proclamation, “Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak,” Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 53 at 15337-38, are not eligible for emergency financial aid grants. The formula provided by Congress for calculating the distribution of funds to institutions excludes students who were exclusively enrolled in distance education courses. Additionally, the emergency financial aid grants to students are for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, and students who were enrolled exclusively in online programs would not have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.”
        • The institute utilizes data provided by the most recent FAFSA/ISIR for eligible students. Data utilized is Expected Family Contribution, Household Size, NSLDS Debt and adjusted gross income. A point system was established to scale awards. Documentation is collected upon application submission as a statement of impact.
        • Grants are available for up to $600.
    7. Erikson Institute provided instructions, directions, and guidance to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants via several emails with a link to the online application form. Students were asked to complete the form and supply required documents in their application for Erikson’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund Support Program. A copy of the communication can be found here.