Final Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Student Aid Report

To: Notice to those whose application was approved.
Channel: Email

 

Office of Financial Aid
Benedictine College
Atchison, KS 66002
913-360-7484

Dear Peter,

Thank you for submitting your application to Benedictine College for consideration to receive additional funding assistance through the CARES Act. These funds were intended to assist students with unexpected costs incurred during the 2020SP term due to the change in the academic term caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

You are being awarded an Emergency Relief Grant from funds secured through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, based upon your application submission. The sole intent of these resources is to reimburse you for food, housing, technology, health care, and child-care expenses caused by the campus disruption. The committee charged with distributing these funds worked painstakingly to provide funds to as many of our Ravens as possible from the limited funding provided.

Due to the limited amount of funding provided to Benedictine College for disbursement to its students, we were not able to provide the amount of funding that was requested by all applicants. The average amount available for disbursement came to just over $391 per approved applicant. In these trying times, we wish it could have been more.

The funds from this grant will not require repayment. You can view your amount from this grant on your student billing account via your RavenZone. Due to federal regulations, we are unable to apply the funds directly to any outstanding balance or as a credit toward your Fall 2020 student billing account, thus the funds will be paid directly to you in the form of a refund.

Refunds are being processed currently and will be distributed within the next 7-10 business days. If you have a bank account for direct deposit through your RavenZone/View and Pay account, your refund will be issued electronically. Otherwise, we will send a check to your permanent address.

We hope and pray these funds will help you as we all deal with the challenges that have come before us. Remember as always…

Notice to those who received general distribution

To: All eligible students
Channel: Email

Office of Financial Aid
Benedictine College
Atchison, KS 66002
913-360-7484

Dear FIRST,

I previously shared with you that Benedictine College is seeking ways to support you through the financial disruption caused by COVID 19. I am writing to inform you of one of those ways.

You are eligible to apply for an Emergency Relief Grant from funds secured through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The sole intent of these resources is to assist those who have incurred additional expenses for food, housing, technology, health care, and child-care caused by the campus disruption. While we are unable to issue these funds to offset lost income due to personal changes in employment or changes within your home, such lost income may create need that may be considered in determining the amount of funds you could receive, should your request be granted.

We will begin accepting applications for an Emergency Relief Grant immediately and will review them on a rolling basis. Funds will be distributed until they have been exhausted. Please understand this is a selective process as the funds are limited, so apply immediately to be considered for these funds. The deadline to apply is June 15, 2020.

The approved applicants will receive a direct cash grant that will not require repayment. Due to federal regulations, we are unable to apply the funds directly to any outstanding balance on your student billing account. However, you may submit a payment to your account with these funds to resolve an existing balance or as a credit toward Fall 2020.

For further information, we have a prepared FAQ that may address your questions. I encourage your to review this information.

Once again, you must apply to be considered for these funds.

To: All Emergency Relief Grant application submission
Channel: Email

Dear FIRST,
Thank you for submitting your application for an Emergency Relief Grant. This serves as confirmation that your application is submitted.

We will notify of the outcome of your application within 7-14. If your application is approved, your direct cash grant will be issued approximately seven days after approval.

Please be in touch if you have further questions.

To: Those who are approved for Emergency Relief Grant
Channel: Email

Dear FIRST,

I am writing to confirm that your Emergency Grant Relief application has been approved. We sincerely hope this grant provides you much needed financial relief during these uncertain times.

Your funds will be distributed to your electronic refund account or a check will be sent to your permanent address within seven days of receiving this email.

To: Those who are denied the Emergency Grant Relief
Channel: Email

First,
I regret to inform that your application for an Emergency Relief Grant has been denied.  We will reconsider your application if funds go unused.

We apologize that we are unable to support you through this program. Please understand that Benedictine College has a limited pool of resources to distribute to our students through the Emergency Relief Grant.

Further, if your household has experienced changes in employment please consider submitting the Supplemental Data Worksheets to allow our Office of Financial Aid to review your eligibility for Federal Financial Aid.

CARES ACT, Emergency Relief Grant

Summary:
Benedictine College received $710,248 to distribute to students in direct cash grants for reimbursement of expenses incurred by the campus closure. We created two methods to distribute the money. The largest portion ($615,248) will be issued through a general distribution which started on May 12, 2020. This pool will be distributed to nearly 1,100 students in increments of $1,000, $600, $400 and $125 based on their level of financial need. No action is required on the part of the student for this first distribution. The remaining portion ($95,000) will be available for students to apply for reimbursement. Pending unforeseen changes, the application for the second fund will open by Friday, May 15, 2020.

Below you will find a series of Frequently Asked Questions designed to help you understand our plan to distribute the Emergency Relief Grant.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have heard about the Emergency Relief Grant that is included in the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Is Benedictine participating in this program?
Yes, Benedictine did secure funds that will go directly to students as direct cash grants.

How much money did Benedictine receive in the Emergency Relief Grant?
Benedictine College received $710,248.00 to distribute to students as direct cash grants.

What is the purpose of the grant?
The sole intent of these resources is to reimburse students for food, housing, technology, health care, and child-care expenses caused by the campus disruption.  These are the only federally approved expenses.

Are all students eligible for this grant?
No, not all students are eligible for this grant. Only students eligible to receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid may receive funding. Generally, U.S. citizens are eligible and international students are ineligible.

Will every eligible student receive this grant?
No, we prioritized students with the greatest demonstrated financial need.

How do eligible students secure these funds?
We will issue the funds through two methods. The largest portion ($615,248) will be issued through a general distribution which started on May 12, 2020. The students receiving the general distribution do not need to take any action. These funds will be sent to them automatically.

The second pool ($95,000) will be issued through a selective application process.  We will begin accepting applications for Emergency Relief Grants at http://benedictinecollege.formstack.com/forms/emergency_funds and will review them on a rolling basis. Please understand this is a selective process as the funds are limited.

How many students will receive funds from the general distribution?
Nearly 1,100 students will receive funding from the general distribution. Based upon the number of eligible students (defined above), over 80% of those eligible will receive funds.

How did you decide who will receive funding from the general distribution?
We developed criteria to identify students with the highest levels of financial need. A brief description of the criteria is below.

General Distribution Criteria:
Criteria One: Verified Title IV eligible undergraduate students.
Criteria Two:  Expected family contribution (EFC) is at or below the cost of attendance (COA), which is set at $46,000.

All students who meet the criteria will receive funds. The amount they receive will vary based   on their level of unmet need. Those with no need but have an EFC below COA will receive a    standard amount.

Unmet Need Tiers:
Tier One ($14,000+ of unmet need): $1,000
Second Tier ($13,999 to $8,000 of unmet need): $600
Third Tier ($7,999 to $1 of unmet need): $400

No need but EFC is at or below COA:
Standard amount of $125 per student. 

Why would a student be ineligible for the General Distribution?
There are three key reasons. 

The first is that they must be Title IV eligible. This is a program only available to Title IV eligible students. The primary tool for determining Title IV eligibility is filing the FAFSA. Most international and non-citizens do not have access to federal financial aid programs. 

The second reason is that the student did not file a FAFSA. Without a current FAFSA on file, we have no method to determine their Title IV eligibility.

The third reason is that their EFC is above the established cost of attendance.

Is this a loan?
No, this is a direct cash grant that will not require repayment.

How can a student use this money?
It is up to the student to decide how to use the money.

Do students have to submit receipts to show how they used this money?
No, they do not need to submit receipts. This is a direct cash grant so they can decide how to best use this money.

Can Benedictine simply apply this as a credit toward a student’s billing account?
No. Due to federal regulations, we are unable to apply the funds directly to a student billing account to address an outstanding balance or as a credit toward fall 2020. However, students may submit a payment to their account with these funds to resolve an existing balance or as a credit toward fall 2020.

If a student did not receive funding through the general distribution, are they eligible to apply for the Emergency Relief Grant?
All full and part-time, undergraduate and graduate students who are eligible to apply for federal financial aid are eligible to apply for the Emergency Relief Grant.

If a student did receive funding through the general distribution, are they eligible to apply for more support from the Emergency Relief Grant?
Yes, students who receive funding from the general distribution may apply for additional support.

When do students apply for the Emergency Relief Grant?
The application will open by Friday, May 15, 2020. The deadline for submitting an application will be June 15, 2020. A student must apply at http://benedictinecollege.formstack.com/forms/emergency_funds  immediately after the application opens or anytime shortly after that date to be considered for these funds. Funds will be awarded until the grant funds have been exhausted.

If a student applies, are they guaranteed to receive the grant?
No, this program has limited funding and we cannot assure that all applicants will be approved.

What are allowable expenses that a student can submit?
The sole intent is to reimburse those who have incurred expenses forfood, housing, technology, health care, and childcare caused by the campus disruption. We are unable to use these funds to offset lost income due to personal changes in employment or within your home.

How much should a student request?
We ask students to estimate their expenses in good faith for their added expenses for food, housing, technology, health care and childcare caused by the campus disruption.

Although there is not a maximum a student may request, we believe the approved amounts will range from $250-$500.

Do students have to submit receipts of these expenses?
No, students do not need to submit receipts for these expenses.

How will students know if their application is approved or denied?
We will alert students via their Benedictine email account of the approval or denial. Please allow seven business days for processing each application, as we do anticipate a high volume.

If an application is approved, when will they receive the grant?
We anticipate issuing the direct cash grant within seven days of approval. Reimbursements will be issued through an electronic refund if they have a bank account for direct deposit through the RavenZone/View and Pay account. Otherwise, we will send a check to the permanent address.