CARES ACT REPORTING ON EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO STUDENTS
On March 27, 2020, the Federal government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Pub L. No. 116-136, providing funds to institutions from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to make Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including eligible expenses under s student’s cost of attendance, such as food, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. The law requires institutions to report certain information related to the use of these funds. The following information is reported for the period, May 22, 2020 through June 21, 2020.
I. This statement shall serve to acknowledge that our institution signed and returned to the US Department of Education the Certification and Agreement – Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. We further attest that our institution has used, and/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.
II. 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 Student is $81,020.
III. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of August 5, 2020 is $78,704.56.
IV. The estimated total number of students at our 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 is 140 students.
V. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to date is 136 students.
VI. The following is the method used by our institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much each student will receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
UTI required all students affected by COVID-19 to complete the “Request for Emergency Financial Aid Grant Funds Questionnaire.” The survey was designed to enable UTI to determine the financial areas in which our students were most significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. A thorough analysis of data gathered from the returned questionnaires made it evident that UTI could not meet the individual needs of each student. Therefore, it was decided that the funds would be distributed equally to all eligible students, and each student will receive $578.71.
VII. The following instructions/directions/guidance was provided by our institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
Students were instructed to thoroughly complete questionnaires and to provide information regarding how they were affected by Covid-19 financially in areas that would prevent them from continuing their coursework here at UTI. Some of the areas in which we requested data were childcare, food, housing, and technological expenses. Students were asked to return the forms and were notified to come into the school to pick up their checks.
Students were asked to apply the funds in the areas in their lives in which they have the greatest need.