cares-act-fund-report

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2020 included funding that is to be distributed as emergency grants to eligible students that have expenses related to disruption of campus operations due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This funding is part of the allocations to colleges and universities under the act.

Tennessee Wesleyan University has received $596,178 to help students due to the disruption to their daily lives and education caused by the Coronavirus outbreak. There are statutory requirements that govern how TWU must administer the emergency funds. These requirements, as defined by the Department of Education (DOE), require reporting by the University and final guidance is still being developed by the department.

The CARES Act and the DOE requires TWU to provide the emergency financial aid cash grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to Coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare).

Per DOE regulations, only students who are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants. If a student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then the student has demonstrated eligibility to participate in programs under Section 484 the HEA. Students who have not filed a FAFSA but who are eligible to file a FAFSA also may receive emergency financial aid grants. The criteria to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA include but are not limited to the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.

At institutions that provide both online and ground-based education, those students who were enrolled exclusively in an online program on March 13, 2020, the date of the President’s Proclamation, “Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak,” Federal Register Vol. 85, No. 53 at 15337- 38, are not eligible for emergency financial aid grants. The formula provided by Congress for calculating the distribution of funds to institutions excludes students who were exclusively enrolled in distance education courses.

TWU has created a Task Force that is led by the Student Financial Services office. This group is formulating the process to distribute the cash grants to eligible students that adheres to the DOE rules and regulations.

We understand that our students and families are eager to receive any emergency grant funds that are available to them under the DOE rules and requirements. We appreciate your patience as we finalize the process and distribution matrix in adherence to these rules.

As part of this process, students who have been initially identified as eligible to receive the emergency grant funds will be receiving an email to their tnwesleyan.edu email account within the next 7 days. This email will have a short survey link attached. The survey link asks that students provide updated contact information.

Please complete this survey promptly to aid us in this process.

Tennessee Wesleyan University
45 Day Updated Fund Report
July 9, 2020
to the
Secretary of the Department of Education

This report is required per the Higher Education Emergency Relief Act-Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. The report requires that the University respond to the seven areas noted below. The University’s information must appear in a format and location that is easily accessible to the public 30 days after the date when the institution received its allocation under Section 18004(a)(1) and must be updated every 45 days thereafter.

1.   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.
Tennessee Wesleyan University signed and returned to the Department of Education the following document on April 21, 2020: Recipient’s Funding Certification and Agreement Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The University assures the Department of Education that no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the act will be used to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students at Tennessee Wesleyan University.

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.
Tennessee Wesleyan was awarded a total of $1,192,356. Of this total amount, $596,178 (50%) will be utilized to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

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 (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every 45 days thereafter).
Tennessee Wesleyan began issuing grant awards prior to the 30 day report submission date[GH1] with the first awards issued on May 19, 2020. The total amount awarded as of May 25, 2020, was $278,700.
As of the second required report date of July 9,2020, a total of $535,730 has been awarded.

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.
At the initial report date of May 25, 2020, the University had identified 876 students who met eligibility requirements to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This eligibility qualified these students as eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

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.

At the initial report date of May 25, 2020, 481 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant.[GH2]

As of the second required report date of July 9, 2020, a total of 740 students had received the Emergency Financial Aid Grant.

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.
Tennessee Wesleyan University used the following methodology to determine student eligibility for Emergency Financial Aid Grants as well as the intended monetary amount to be received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act:
· The institution utilized the spring 2020 census file in addition, but not limited to, student enrollment and attendance files prior to the institution enacting the approved SACSCOC emergency relocation of instruction to online on March 18, 2020.
· The Office of Institutional Effectiveness in conjunction with the Student Financial Services Department verified eligible students under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Students who did not meet the eligibility requirements under this section were excluded from consideration. Eligibility requirements were:
· U.S. Citizen
· Spring 2020 active enrollment, part-time and/or full-time
· Degree-seeking student at the post-secondary level
· Eligible FAFSA Filer
· Enrolled in a program that is not exclusively distance education
· The institution determined, based on the availability of funding, that all full-time students would be awarded an initial grant of $600. Part-time eligible students would be awarded an initial grant in the range of $100-$300, based upon the number of credit hours enrolled in at the time of the relocation to online instruction.
· Funds remaining after the initial grants are awarded will be distributed based on a separate application process whereby eligible students can address their additional financial needs due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Funds awarded to eligible students shall not be granted in an amount to exceed the maximum Pell limits.

7.   Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
Tennessee Wesleyan University has posted information concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants at https://www.tnwesleyan.edu/tuition-aid/cares-act.php. This page has been and will continue to be updated as needed.

An email was sent to all eligible students concerning their eligibility and requesting a response to the application questions in the email. A follow-up email was sent to students who did not respond to the first email.

A letter was included with each grant check issued.
This letter explains the student’s eligibility and how funding was provided for the grants.

For those students who did not respond to either email, a follow up letter has been sent regarding action they must take to receive their grant award.

Tennessee Wesleyan University
45 Day Updated Fund Report
July 9, 2020
to the
Secretary of the Department of Education

This report is required per the Higher Education Emergency Relief Act-Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. The report requires that the University respond to the seven areas noted below. The University’s information must appear in a format and location that is easily accessible to the public 30 days after the date when the institution received its allocation under Section 18004(a)(1) and must be updated every 45 days thereafter.

1. 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. Tennessee Wesleyan University signed and returned to the Department of Education the following document on April 21, 2020: Recipient’s Funding Certification and Agreement Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The University assures the Department of Education that no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the act will be used to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students at Tennessee Wesleyan University.

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.

Tennessee Wesleyan was awarded a total of $1,192,356. Of this total amount, $596,178 (50%) will be utilized to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

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 (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every 45 days thereafter).

Tennessee Wesleyan began issuing grant awards prior to the 30 day report submission date with the first awards issued on May 19, 2020. The total amount awarded as of May 25, 2020, was $278,700.

As of the second required report date of July 9,2020, a total of $535,730 has been awarded.

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.

At the initial report date of May 25, 2020, the University had identified 876 students who met eligibility requirements to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. This eligibility qualified these students as eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

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.

At the initial report date of May 25, 2020, 481 students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant.

As of the second required report date of July 9, 2020, a total of 740 students had received the Emergency Financial Aid Grant.

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.

Tennessee Wesleyan University used the following methodology to determine student eligibility for Emergency Financial Aid Grants as well as the intended monetary amount to be received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act:

- The institution utilized the spring 2020 census file in addition, but not limited to, student enrollment and attendance files prior to the institution enacting the approved SACSCOC emergency relocation of instruction to online on March 18, 2020.

- The Office of Institutional Effectiveness in conjunction with the Student Financial Services Department verified eligible students under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Students who did not meet the eligibility requirements under this section were excluded from consideration. Eligibility requirements were:

- S. Citizen
- Spring 2020 active enrollment, part-time and/or full-time
- Degree-seeking student at the post-secondary level
- Eligible FAFSA Filer
- Enrolled in a program that is not exclusively distance education
- The institution determined, based on the availability of funding, that all full-time students would be awarded an initial grant of $600. Part-time eligible students would be awarded an initial grant in the range of $100-$300, based upon the number of credit hours enrolled in at the time of the relocation to online instruction.
- Funds remaining after the initial grants are awarded will be distributed based on a separate application process whereby eligible students can address their additional financial needs due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Funds awarded to eligible students shall not be granted in an amount to exceed the maximum Pell limits.

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

Tennessee Wesleyan University has posted information concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants at https://www.tnwesleyan.edu/tuition-aid/cares-act.php. This page has been and will continue to be updated as needed.

An email was sent to all eligible students concerning their eligibility and requesting a response to the application questions in the email. A follow-up email was sent to students who did not respond to the first email.

A letter was included with each grant check issued. This letter explains the student’s eligibility and how funding was provided for the grants.

For those students who did not respond to either email, a follow up letter has been sent regarding action they must take to receive their grant award.

CARES Act Fund Report

Student Reports

Quarterly Reports