CARES Act Reporting
Updated: August 13, 2020
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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, 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.
UTRGV signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the U.S. Department of Education on April 14, 2020, and UTRGV 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.
UTRGV’s Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants may be viewed here .
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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.
UTRGV has received $17,167,129 from the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
UTRGV’s Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants may be viewed here .
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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 45 days thereafter).
As of May 13, 2020, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to UTRGV students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is $1,154,473.55.
As of June 29, 2020, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to UTRGV students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is $3,071,309.40.
As of August 13, 2020, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to UTRGV students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is $11,665,459.40 Of that amount, $3,232,459.40 was in the form of Spring/Summer Emergency Financial Aid Grants and $8,433,000.00 was in the form of Fall Cash Grants.
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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.
There are an estimated 23,165 students at UTRGV who are 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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
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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 May 13, 2020, 1,852 UTRGV students received Spring/Summer Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of June 29, 2020, 4,841 UTRGV students received Spring/Summer Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of August 13, 2020, 5,153 UTRGV students received Spring/Summer Emergency Financial Aid Grants based on the submission of an application requesting emergency aid.
As of August 13, 2020, 16,886 eligible UTRGV students, continuing their education and enrolled for the Fall 2020 semester, have received a $500 emergency cash grant to assist with cost-of-attendance related expenses (including food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and childcare) related to the continuing disruption of campus operations in the Fall 2020 semester due to the coronavirus.
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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.
Spring/Summer grants: Enrolled students who experienced financial challenges related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus have been encouraged to apply for emergency funds via an online application. Initially, these applications were assessed by the Scholarship Office (Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs), with an internal committee reviewing individual applications to ensure eligibility and consistency in amounts awarded. Awards were determined using defined amounts related to student needs in an equitable and non-discriminatory fashion. This process was subsequently streamlined, with eligibility and award determinations using defined eligibility criteria and designated amounts for identified needs being made by authorized employees in the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs in an equitable and non-discriminatory fashion. The average award received by students was $627.00.
Fall cash grants: To assist students in addressing continuing disruptions to campus operations and significant changes in the delivery of instruction in the Fall 2020 semester, enrolled undergraduate and graduate students (a) continuing their education during the ongoing pandemic and (b) demonstrating they are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended), may receive up to two $500 cash grants to assist with cost-of-attendance related expenses (such as food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and childcare). Students who have a current FAFSA on file and meet other Title IV eligibility requirements are considered automatically eligible. Students who did not have a current FAFSA on file were sent an email encouraging them to file a FAFSA or complete an attestation confirming that they meet the Title IV eligibility criteria.
For additional information see- Student Emergency Fund (SEF) webpage
- PDF of online SEF application form
- PDFs of emails sent to students regarding SEF sent on March 30, 2020, March 31, 2020
- CARES Attestation
- PDF of emails sent to students regarding attestation on July 24, 2020 and disbursement
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Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
Spring/Summer grants: Students were initially encouraged to apply for emergency aid via an application. Student Emergency Fund webpage; PDF of online SEF application form. Emails were sent by the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs to undergraduate and graduate students notifying them of the availability of funds, eligibility requirements and the application process. PDFs of emails informing students of SEF March 30, 2020, March 31, 2020;
Fall cash grants: Students who have a current FAFSA on file and meet other Title IV eligibility requirements are considered automatically eligible for the Fall cash grants. Students who did not have a current FAFSA on file were sent an email encouraging them to file a FAFSA or complete an attestation confirming that they meet the Title IV eligibility criteria. A PDF of the email sent to students is here and the CARES Attestation is here CARES Attestation. A PDF of email sent to students notifying them that the first of the two Fall $500 cash grants was being disbursed and on its way is found here.
Student Reporting Archive
CARES Act Funds:
UTRGV continues to implement programs directly benefitting students who have been impacted by disruption to campus operations due to the coronavirus. These programs are funded with both CARES Act funds from the U.S. Department of Education and UTRGV institutional funds, and of the programs’ total costs, no less than $17,169,129 of CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) will be expended on eligible students through direct grants. The opinion and content of this communication is that of UTRGV and does not necessarily represent the policy of the U. S. Department of Education or the Federal Government.