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HEERF FAQs

Find information on University of Massachusetts Global's eligibility requirements for HEERF funding.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing $39.6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ARP funds are in addition to funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136. Emergency funds available to institutions and their students under all emergency funds total $76.2 billion.

UMass Global has received a total of $3, 205,618.00 in funds for eligible students for food, housing, course material, technology, health care, and childcare.

 

Eligibility:

To receive an emergency grant payment in Fall 2021, each student must:

  • Be currently attending UMass Global and
  • Have completed 2021-2022 application for financial aid including submission of a FAFSA to the U. S. Department of Education and have submitted any federally required supplemental documents to the Financial Aid Office.

If you would like to apply for an American Rescue Plan grant and have not already filed a FAFSA, you may do so at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa To be considered, you must submit a complete, accurate FAFSA no later than November 15, 2021.

 

Allocation and Distribution:

The government requires that funds be provided to students in “exceptional financial need.” The criterion that will be considered when making this determination is the size of the expected family contribution (EFC) calculated by the federal government based on 2021-2022 FAFSA information and the formula for measuring financial need established in the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Students will be notified via their UMass Global e-mail if they have been selected to receive a grant.

CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting September 30, 2020

  • University of Massachusetts Global has agreed to and certified that it 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.

  • University of Massachusetts Global has received a total of $598,309 pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

  • University of Massachusetts Global has distributed $598,309 to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of September 30, 2020.

  • The estimated total number of students at University of Massachusetts Global who were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to apply for and receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act was 6,219.

  • A total of 954 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of September 30, 2020.

  • University of Massachusetts Global notified students in a letter and opened an application period on August 18, 2020 for students to request an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CARES Act.  The application deadline was September 11, 2020. The letter, which outlines eligibility, can be found here.

  • A Frequently Asked Questions document was compiled by University of Massachusetts Global concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants and posted below.

CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting December 31, 2020

  • University of Massachusetts Global has agreed to and certified that it 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.

  • University of Massachusetts Global has received a total of $598,309 pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

  • University of Massachusetts Global has distributed $598,309 to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of December 31, 2020.

  • The estimated total number of students at University of Massachusetts Global who were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to apply for and receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act was 6,219.

  • A total of 954 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of December 31, 2020.

  • University of Massachusetts Global notified students in a letter and opened an application period on August 18, 2020 for students to request an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CARES Act. The application deadline was September 11, 2020. The letter, which outlines eligibility, can be found here.

  • A Frequently Asked Questions document was compiled by University of Massachusetts Global concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants and posted below.

CRRSAA Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting – June 30, 2021

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)
Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting – June 30, 2021

  • UMass Global has agreed to and certified that it intends to use the applicable amount of the funds received under CRRSAA to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

  • UMass Global has received a total of $4,125,932 pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA program.

  • UMass Global has distributed $921,060 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the CRRSAA program as of June 30, 2021.

  • The estimated total number of students at UMass Global who were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA program was 6,974.

  • A total of 714 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CRRSAA program as of June 30, 2021.

  • UMass Global used the following criteria to determine which students would receive an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CRRSAA program:

 

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for HEERF II grant funds, students must have attended UMass Global between January 1st and April 1st of 2021, have maintained attendance in classes, and have a complete 2020-2021 application for financial aid including submission of a FAFSA to the U. S. Department of Education and submission of any federally required supplemental documents to the Financial Aid Office.  In addition, federal law requires that funds be provided only to U. S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens.  Lastly, funds must go to students in exceptional financial need.  Accordingly, for the 2018 calendar year, students must:

  • Have had a household (student and spouse) income of less than $26,000, AND
  • Have had dependents other than a spouse, AND
  • Have met at least one of the following five criteria:
    1. Receipt of any of the following means tested federal benefit programs: Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, Free or Reduced Price School Lunch Program, TANF, and WIC
    2. Filed a 2018 IRS Form 1040 but were not required to file a Schedule 1
    3. Filed a tax form from a Trust Territory
    4. Was not required to file any income tax return
    5. Was a dislocated worker or married to a dislocated worker

This eligibility information is obtained from the 2020-2021 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

A Frequently Asked Questions document was compiled by UMass Global concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants and posted below. 

CRRSAA Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting – September 30, 2021

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)
Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting September 30, 2021
  • UMass Global has agreed to and certified that it intends to use the applicable amount of the funds received under CRRSAA to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
  • UMass Global has received a total of $4,125,932 pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA program
  • UMass Global has distributed $1,091,340 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the CRRSAA program as of September 30, 2021.
  • The estimated total number of students at UMass Global who were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA program was 7,105.
  • A total of 846 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CRRSAA program as of September 30, 2021.
  • UMass Global used the following criteria to determine which students would receive an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CRRSAA program: 

 

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for HEERF II grant funds, students must have attended UMass Global between January 1st and July 16th of 2021, have maintained attendance in classes, and have a complete 2020-2021 application for financial aid including submission of a FAFSA to the U. S. Department of Education and submission of any federally required supplemental documents to the Financial Aid Office.  In addition, federal law requires that funds be provided only to U. S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens.  Lastly, funds must go to students in exceptional financial need.  Accordingly, for the 2018 calendar year, students must:

  • Have had a household (student and spouse) income of less than $26,000, AND
  • Have had dependents other than a spouse, AND
  • Have met at least one of the following five criteria:
  1. Receipt of any of the following means tested federal benefit programs: Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, Free or Reduced Price School Lunch Program, TANF, and WIC
  2. Filed a 2018 IRS Form 1040 but were not required to file a Schedule 1
  3. Filed a tax form from a Trust Territory
  4. Was not required to file any income tax return
  5. Was a dislocated worker or married to a dislocated worker

This eligibility information is obtained from the 2020-2021 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

In addition, students who submitted a student or parent review to the Financial Aid Office prior to July 16th, 2021, with COVID related job loss or COVID related expenses were also included in the recipient group.

A Frequently Asked Questions document was compiled by UMass Global concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants and posted below.

HEERF Institutional Reporting  - September 30, 2021

Emergency Financial Aid Grants Expenditure Reporting – December 31, 2021

  • UMass Global has agreed to and certified that it intends to use the applicable amount of the funds received under American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
  • UMass Global has received a total of $4,125,932 pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the ARP program.
  • UMass Global has distributed $4,125,923 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under ARP program as of December 31, 2021.
  • The estimated total number of students at UMass Global who were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the ARP program was 5,905.
  • A total of 3,313 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the ARP program as of December 31, 2021.
  • UMass Global used the following criteria to determine which students would receive an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the ARP program:  

Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible for HEERF III grant funds, students must be currently attending UMass Global in Fall 2021, and have a complete 2020-2021 application for financial aid including submission of a FAFSA to the U. S. Department of Education and submission of any federally required supplemental documents to the Financial Aid Office

  • A Frequently Asked Questions document was compiled by UMass Global concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants and posted below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

  • Students who were enrolled in a degree program at UMass Global and were registered in at least 1 unit in the Fall 1 and or Fall 2 2021 session, and active UMass Global MyPath students as of the university census date of November 15, 2021.
  • No, students do not need to apply for HEERF Phase III funds.
  • Aid payment eligibility and amounts were determined based on each student’s enrollment status as of November 15, 2021. Students who withdrew prior to that date will not receive payments as part of the HEERF Phase III emergency aid distribution. Students that attended classes through November 21, 2021, and subsequently withdrew will receive a HEERF Phase II emergency aid payment.

General

  • Students with exceptional financial need (as determined by their completed FAFSA information) will be determined eligible for a HEERF III grant.
  • Because students don't include emergency financial aid grants in their gross income, higher education institutions are not required to file or furnish Forms 1099-MISC reporting the grants made available by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) or the COVID-related Tax Relief Act (COVID Relief Act) and do not need to report the grants in Box 5 of Form 1098-T.
  • No. Our Financial Aid office will not include HEERF emergency aid in your income when determining your financial aid package for next year.

  • The Higher Educational Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF, was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security (CARES) Act in spring 2020. Additional funds were allocated to HEERF as authorized by the Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

    Much of this funding is intended for direct aid to students with exceptional financial need based on their FAFSA information.

  • Emergency financial aid grants may be used by students for any component of their cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or childcare.
  • No. You do not need to repay this emergency aid.
  • No. Emergency financial aid grants made by a federal agency, State, Indian tribe, higher education institution or scholarship-granting organization to a student because of an event related to the COVID-19 national emergency are not included in the student’s gross income. For more information, please see the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) bulletin.

  • Eligible students will receive notification about their aid payment the week of November 22-24, 2021. Our goal is to process payments for eligible students the week of November 29- December 3, 2021.

  • Your payment will be mailed to the address you have on file in Banner self-service. If you receive confirmation that you were selected to receive a payment, please ensure your address is up to date.
  • If you receive payment from HEERF Phase III, it will be paid in its entirety to you. You will need to pay your outstanding charges separately because they will not be deducted from your aid payment amount.  
  • No. HEERF grants are not treated as taxable income or untaxed income for Title IV federal student aid purposes.
  • The goal is to have checks mailed to students the week of November 29, 2021.
  • Contact your One Stop representative at your respective campus.

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