07 April 2022 Update: 31 March 2022 Quarterly Report - Student Portion - Final

CARES Act/CRRSAA/ARP Reporting – FINAL REPORT
March 31, 2022 Update
Posted April 7, 2022

Aurora University submits this final 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 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Section 314 of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) and Section 2003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) to submit an initial report to the Secretary and updates every calendar quarter thereafter describing the use of funds distributed until funds are exhausted.

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 acknowledgement 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, the applicable amount of the funds designated the CARES Act, CRRSAA and ARP 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 and the institution has used the applicable amount of funds designated.
   
   
2. The total amount of funds that the institution 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 the CARES Act and $2,348,842 under CRRSAA. As of this date, the university has submitted and received all of these funds through the G5 system. In addition, the university was awarded $6,954,536 under ARP. As of March 31, 2021, the university has submitted and received through the G5 system all $6,954,536 awarded. [1]
   
   [1] This amount previously reported was rounded to 6,954,540. This has been updated to match the exact award amount as this is the final student report as all funds have been expended.
   
   
3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under the CARES Act, CRRSAA and ARP 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 the CARES Act and $2,348,842 have been distributed to students under the Student Portion of CRRSAA. The university also distributed $468,916 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants from the Institutional Portion of CRRSAA.
   
   As of the date of this submission, the university has distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants totaling $6,954,536 to students under the Student Portion of ARP of which $951,036 were distributed during the reporting period from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022. The university also distributed $3,464 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants from the Institutional Portion of ARP during the reporting period from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022.
   
   
4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the CARES Act, CRRSAA and ARP.
   
   The eligibility requirements changed with the passage of ARP from previous acts. The specific requirements can be reviewed per the prior updates posted to the university website. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of Higher Education Act of 1965 was 4,975 for the Spring 2020 academic term. However, included in this total was approximately 940 students that were enrolled in exclusively online courses for the Spring 2020 academic term and therefore were originally not eligible for Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
   
   Subsequent guidance relating to eligibility resulted in approximately 4,950 students available under CRRSAA to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants for the Spring 2021 academic term, including those enrolled exclusively online.
   
   Further guidance released by the Department of Education in May 2021 removed the requirement that a student must be eligible for Title IV aid to be eligible. As a result, approximately 7,000 students were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under ARP as of March 31, 2022.
   
   
5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under the CARES Act, CRRSAA and ARP.
   
   There were 2,082 students that received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CARES Act for the Spring 2020 and 14 students that received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CARES Act for the Spring 2021. There were 2,609 students that received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under CRRSAA for the Spring 2021.
   
   In addition, there were 7,021 students that received Emergency Financial Aid Grant(s) under ARP through March 31, 2022. 2,075 students received a disbursement during the reporting period from January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022.
   
   
6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under the CARES Act, CRRSAA and ARP.
   
   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 method used to determine which students received Spring 2021 Emergency Financial Aid Grants under CRRSAA can be found here.
   
   The method used to determine which students received Summer 2021 and/or Fall 2021 Emergency Financial Aid Grants under ARP can be found here.
   
   During the reporting period January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, the university distributed the remaining Emergency Financial Aid Grant allocation under ARP. Undergraduate students with the highest need (i.e. with an Expected Family Contribution, or equivalent for non-Title IV eligible students, of $8,999 or less) were each awarded $460 during this reporting period.
   
   
7. 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 28 July 2021. A link to this announcement can be found here. Prior announcements can also be found on the university website here.
   
   Emails were sent to all students who received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant. The sample text of the email distributed to students receiving awards during the reporting period January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022 can be found here.