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CARES Act Fund Reports

Wayne State College CARES Act September 30, 2021, Fund Report

In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law authorizing the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III), providing additional pandemic relief funding totally $39.6 billion to support institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. HEERF funding was initially established through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (HEERF I) and expanding through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act (HEERF II).

Wayne State College has begun distribution of HEERF III grant funds. Specifically, these funds may be used for “emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).”

For HEERF III funds, the Department of Education requires that institutions prioritize assistance to students with exceptional need in accordance with federal guidelines. Funds in the amount of $3,000 are automatically awarded to students who meet the following criteria:

  • Pell-eligible or have an expected family contribution (EFC) of $10,000 or less
  • Enrolled full-time as an undergraduate in the Fall 2021 semester
  1. Wayne State College was allocated $3,791,770 in HEERF III funds under ARP section 314(a)(1) to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
  2. As of September 30, 2021, Wayne State College has distributed a total of $3,765,000 in HEERF III grant funds to students.
  3. As of September 30, 2021, 1,255 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under HEERF III.
  4. Grant recipients were selected based on the criteria outlined above.
  5. Funding recipients received the following instructions and guidance related to the HEERF III funding:

Dear Student,

You are receiving this email as notification of a Higher Education Relief Fund Grant distribution.

We have added a $3,000 Fall 2021 grant to your account which will be issued as a refund to you. This is a one-time grant for the Fall semester only.

Since this will be a refund to you, the funds will not be directly applied to pay outstanding WSC charges. We understand you may need assistance to help support your education expenses including tuition, fees, food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, childcare, or other related educational expenses.

If you would like to use this grant towards your direct costs at Wayne State, we encourage you to save the grant funds after they are refunded to you to use towards these expenses.

Below is an estimated timeline for disbursement and refunds to appear for the higher education relief funds for all FAFSAs filed prior to August 20.

August 26 – Initial disbursement of grants begins

August 30 – Estimated date for direct deposit refunds

September 2 – Estimated date for paper check refunds

The fastest way to receive funds is through Direct Deposit. If you are not currently enrolled, please review the instructions below to confirm or enroll in Direct Deposit.

Follow these Simple Steps to Sign Up or confirm your bank account information today!

  • Log in to WildcatsOnline
  • Select the Student Account Tab
  • Under My Resources – select the Direct Deposit link

Please contact Student Financial Services at [email protected] or 402-375-7229 with any questions.

Sincerely,

Student Financial Services

In addition to HEERF III awards, the following is an update related to HEERF I & HEERF II awards:

HEERF I: $1,260,780 awards made to student out of an allocation of $1,260,780.

HEERF II: $1,124,916 awards to students out of an allocation of $1,260,780.