9 April 2021 Update: 31 March 2021 Quarterly Report - Student Portion

CARES Act Reporting
March 31, 2021 Update
Posted April 9, 2021

Aurora University submits this quarterly update to the previously published Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund report to Department of Education secretary

(per instructions issued by the Office of Postsecondary Education dated 6 May 2020)

The Department of Education directs each institution receiving Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to comply with Section 18004(e) of the CARES Act and submit an initial report (the “30-day Fund Report”) to the Secretary thirty (30) days from the date of the institution’s Certification and Agreement to the Department with updates every calendar quarter thereafter.

Each HEERF participating institution must post the information listed below on the institution’s primary website. Accordingly, the university is providing this information to the AU community in compliance with this directive:

  1. An acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution 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.

    Aurora University acknowledges the institution signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement for the Student Portion of funds on 13 April 2020.

    The university used 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 as required under HEERF.

  2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

    The university received $2,348,842 for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under HEERF and an additional $2,348,842 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (HEERF II) for a total of $4,697,684. As of this date, the university has submitted and received all of these funds through the G5 system.

  3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every update thereafter).

    As of the date of this submission, Emergency Financial Aid Grants totaling $2,348,842 have been distributed to students under the Student Portion of Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and $2,348,842 have been distributed to students under the Student Portion of HEERF II.

    The university distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants from the Student Portions of HEERF and HEERF II totaling $2,364,884 for the reporting period from January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021.

    The university distributed an additional $424,516 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants from the Institutional Portion under HEERF II for the reporting period from January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021.

  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 thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

    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 for the Spring 2020 academic term (as evidenced by a completed FAFSA on file with the university) and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act was 4,975.

    Pursuant to initial Department of Education guidelines, students who were enrolled exclusively in online courses on 13 March 2020 were not eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under HEERF. The approximate number of students enrolled in exclusively online courses included in the estimated total number of students eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 for the Spring 2020 academic term (as evidenced by a completed FAFSA on file with the university) was 940.

    Subsequent guidance released by the Department of Education in March 2021 allowed for students enrolled exclusively in online courses to be eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants. As of this date, the approximate number of students at the institution eligible in participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 for the Spring 2021 academic term (as evidenced by a completed FAFSA on file with the university) and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students is 4,900.

  5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

    There were 2,082 students that received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) for the Spring 2020.

    There were 2,569 students that received Emergency Financial Aid Grants for the reporting period from January 1, 2021 through March 31, 2021.

  6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

    The method used to determine which students received Spring 2020 Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act can be found here.

    The university used the following methods to determine which students receive Spring 2021 Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed between January 1, 2021 and March 31, 2021:

    • Students must be Title IV eligible as determined by a valid FAFSA on file for the 2020-2021 award year.
    • Students must have been degree seeking students enrolled in courses during the Spring 2021 academic semester.
    • All Spring Semester Federal Pell Grants awardees receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
    • For those students who are not Federal Pell Grant awardees, students who are otherwise Title IV eligible with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) equal to or less than the 2020-2021 Federal Pell Grant EFC limit ($5,711) receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

    For those students meeting the qualifications listed above to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants, students are awarded the following amounts:

    • Eligible students enrolled during the spring semester for 12 or more undergraduate credit hours received $1,200.
    • Eligible students enrolled during the spring semester for 9 or more graduate credit hours received $1,200.
    • Eligible students enrolled during the spring semester for fewer than 12 undergraduate credit hours received $600.
    • Eligible students enrolled during the spring semester for fewer than 9 credit hours received $600.

    Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

    The university distributed a general announcement regarding Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students on 3 March 2021. A link to this announcement can be found here.

    Emails were sent to all students who received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant. The sample text of this email can be found here.

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