8 October 2021 Update: 30 September 2021 Quarterly Report - Student Portion

CARES Act/CRRSAA/ARP Reporting
September 30, 2021 Update
Posted October 6, 2021

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

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.

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 Agreements for the Student Portion of funds and the institution has used or intends to use the applicable amount of funds designated.
   
   
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 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 has been awarded $6,954,540 under ARP. As of September 30, $5,325,500 has been submitted and received through the G5 system for the ARP funds.
   
   
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.
   
   The university distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants totaling $5,325,500 from the Student Portion of ARP for the reporting period from July 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021.
   
   
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 has continued to evolve since the initial CARES Act requirements. 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 6,100 students were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under ARP as of the disbursement date within the period of July 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021.
   
   
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 2,627 students that received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under CRRSAA for the Spring 2021.
   
   In addition, there were 6,138 students that received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under ARP during the reporting period from July 1, 2021 through September 30, 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 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 university was able to provide all students enrolled during the 2021 Summer and/or 2021 Fall Emergency Financial Aid Grants under ARP. The first distribution occurred between July 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021 as follows:
   
   Undergraduate students:
   
   
   • Students enrolled during the 2021 Summer and/or Fall semesters for 12 or more undergraduate credit hours received $1,000.
   • Students enrolled during the 2021 Summer and/or Fall semesters for fewer than 12 undergraduate credit hours received $500.
     
     

   Graduate students:

   • Students enrolled during the 2021 Summer and/or Fall semesters for 9 or more graduate credit hours received $1,000.
   • Students enrolled during the 2021 Summer and/or Fall semesters for fewer than 9 graduate credit hours received $500.
     
     

   A second distribution occurred the first week of October for those students that may have qualified for a higher award amount, such increasing from part-time to full-time enrollment while the remaining ARP student funds are available for need-based discretionary awards.

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 this email can be found here.