Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

CARES Act: Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

For the Calendar Quarter Ending December 31, 2020

FINAL REPORT

Issued January 7, 2021

Bay Mills Community College received $222,497 from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) under the CARES Act, of which $111,249 is designated to provide emergency financial aid grants to students who were impacted by the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. Eligible expenses may include those under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. BMCC used most of the remaining funds to pay for laptops for the Student Success Center to lend to students.

The U.S. Department of Education required a report thirty days (30) from the date of the Grant Award Notification and every forty-five (45) days thereafter. On August 31, 2020, the reporting requirements were changed to decrease the frequency of reporting after the initial 30-day period from every 45 days thereafter to every calendar quarter. Bay Mills Community College issued the 30-Day Report on May 24, 2020, 45-Day Report on July 8, 2020, 45-Day Report on August 21, 2020, and quarterly report for September 30, 2020 on October 9, 2020.  This is the FINAL report that covers all HEERF fund expenditures for Section 18004(a)(1) Student Portion funds.   

The following information is being provided to comply with the U.S. Department of Education’s reporting requirements:

       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.
         

Bay Mills Community College signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the U.S. Department of Education on April 14, 2020 and acknowledges that the College used 50% of the funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

       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.

On April 24, 2020, Bay Mills Community College was awarded $111,249 to provide emergency financial aid grants to students. Funds totaling $111,249 were deposited in the College’s bank account in the amount of $77,500 on June 2, 2020 and $33,749 on December 3, 2020.

       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.

As of November 30, 2020, total grant funds of $111,249 were distributed to students, which consisted of $77,500 in the spring, 2020 semester and $33,749 in the fall, 2020 semester.

       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.

Bay Mills Community College determined that 138 students (87 students in spring, 2020 semester, 51 students in fall, 2020 semester) were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and met the other eligibility requirements, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education, to receive an emergency financial aid grant.

There were potentially 78 additional students (40 students in spring, 2020 semester, 38 students in fall, 2020 semester) who may have been eligible if they completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or supplied other missing documentation. These students were contacted by email, but none of these students completed the FAFSA or supplied the missing documentation within the due dates.

We followed the U.S. Department of Education’s guidance and excluded students who were enrolled exclusively in online courses. Unfortunately, this eliminated many students who were Title IV eligible from receiving an emergency financial aid grant. Other students were excluded because they did not meet satisfactory academic progress requirements or were not enrolled in an eligible program. There were fewer students eligible in the fall, 2020 semester because more students decided to take courses online rather than on-campus.

       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.

As of November 30, 2020, 126 students received an emergency financial aid grant under Section 18004(a)(1). The other 12 eligible students were paid with Section 18004(a)(2) funds.   

       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.

Bay Mills Community College followed the U.S. Department of Education’s regulations and guidance provided in their Frequently Asked Questions to determine the eligibility requirements, which are detailed here. The Financial Aid Director identified the students who met these eligibility requirements for the spring and fall, 2020 semesters.

The following amounts were awarded for spring and fall, 2020 semesters:

• Full-Time (12 credits or more) – $1,000
• Three-Quarter Time (9-11 credits) – $750
• Half-Time or Less than Half-Time (1-8 credits) – $500

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

To distribute the funds more quickly and ensure that all eligible students receive funding, the College identified the eligible students and sent them an email notifying them of the funding, award amount, check distribution date, and how the funds may be used. A letter was also mailed to the students with the emergency financial aid grant check.

Students who met the other eligibility requirements but had not completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), were sent an email encouraging them to apply before June 30, 2020 for spring, 2020 semester and December 18, 2020 for fall, 2020 semester. The College determined that this was the only practicable way to determine whether these students met the Title IV eligibility requirements. Emails were also sent to students who were missing other types of information. The email templates about potential eligibility are located here.

The emails and letter included a link to the website with detailed information about the CARES Act Student Emergency Grants, which can be found here.