Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

Emergency Grants to Students

Reporting Information

On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed the CARES Act (H.R. 748), which provides emergency relief funds to organizations and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), found in Section 18004 of the CARES Act, provides funding to institutions of higher education “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” This report provides details on the first award Parker University received under the HEERF, the funds for Emergency Grants to Students under Award No. P425E203608.

CERTIFICATION

Parker University signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement on May 4, 2020. Fifty percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act have been allocated to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

AWARD

Parker University will receive a total of $970,426 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the HEERF and, in accordance with the terms of the grant, has allocated $485,213 to be distributed directly to students impacted by campus disruptions due to the coronavirus. These funds from the U.S. Department of Education will be awarded pursuant to our Certification and Agreement for Emergency Grants to Students.

FUNDS DISTRIBUTED

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY

Parker University has approximately 1,337 on-campus, undergraduate and graduate students eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and who are thus potentially eligible to receive HEERF Emergency Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

METHOD USED TO DETERMINE STUDENTS ELIGIBILITY

All potentially eligible students were electronically notified of the application process developed by the university for these funds from Ms. Alaina Mount, Dean of Student Development. A committee reviews the individual application requests as they are received and recommends distributions of this money to newly approved students on a weekly basis. The U.S. Department of Education has specified that students must meet certain criteria to qualify for these funds. These include:
Grant No P425E200006 Report #1
As of June 1, 2020

• Students must be Federal Title IV aid eligible, which has been determined by student’s having a completed valid 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file.
• Students must meet Title IV aid eligibility criteria including:
  • U.S. Citizenship or Eligible noncitizen status
  • Having a valid Social Security Number
  • Be registered with Selective Service (if male)
• Students must have been enrolled at Parker University as of March 13, 2020 (the date at which the national emergency was declared).
• Students’ academic programs must include a requirement to be physically present on campus (i.e. students attending “exclusively” online programs are not eligible for emergency grant funding).

Maximum eligibility tiers were established by the university based upon various student situational experiences. Awards are focused on the six financial categories encouraged by the federal government. These include funding to help
students pay for housing, food, childcare, healthcare, technology and course materials. Distributions to students have ranged between $300 to $1,300.

INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS GIVEN TO STUDENTS

Instructions, directions, guidance and the application provided to students regarding the Cares Act HEERF Emergency Grants may be found here: Student Affairs