HEERF 1

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was passed which authorized funding under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (“HEERF”) to Institutions of Higher Learning.  The funds under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act are required to be provided as Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

To access and distribute these funds, on May 29, 2020, Phoenix Seminary 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.

Phoenix Seminary was allocated a total of $42,117 under Section 18004(a)(1).  Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students, at least $21,059 will be distributed directly to eligible students impacted by campus disruptions due to the coronavirus. The total amount received pursuant to FISPE Section 18004(a)(3) is $457,883.

  1. As of June 18th, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to eligible students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act was $21,059.
  2. The total number of students who received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant on June 18, 2020: 25 students
  3. Based on FAFSA data from the 2019-2020 academic year, the total estimated number of students at Phoenix Seminary eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of 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 25.
  4. Recognizing that all otherwise eligible students experienced additional expenses due to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Phoenix Seminary determined that the most equitable way to disburse these grant funds to our students, was to divide our total allocation by the estimated number of eligible students.

The total amount expended pursuant to Section 18004(a)3 is as follows:

  • Direct grants to Students - $4,800
  • Replacing lost tuition revenue - $29,452
  • Technology and software for distance education - $423,631

HEERF II & III

On December 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) which gave the U.S. Department of Education funds to distribute to institutions of higher education in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus through the HEERF.  For existing private and nonprofit and public CARES Act grantees, the CRRSAA authorized supplemental awards to exisiting Student Aid Portion and Institutional Portion grantees.  These institutions were not required to submit new or revised applications to receive these new funds.  In February 2021, Phoenix Seminary was allocated in total $71,977 (HEERF II).  $21,059 was the minimum amount to be awarded for Student Aid.  Congress did make changes to the program from the CARES Act which are referenced here.  Under CRRSAA, students enrolled in exclusively distance education courses are eligible for financial aid grants.  CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need and are to document how they prioritize in distributing funds.  With a student's written consent (or electronic) financial aid grants could be applied to their student accounts.  A new application called "The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act (CRSSAA)" was created and made available to students by email on June 13, 2022.

On March 11, 2021 the American Rescue Plan's (ARP) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) was signed into law 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 (CRRSA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Recover, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  Emergency funds available to institutions and their students under all emergency funds total $76.2 billion.  Phoenix Seminary was allocated in total $133,714.  $66,858 was the minimum amount to be awarded for Student Aid.  The ARP requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need or extraordinary financial circumstances and are expected to establish a transparent process for assessing need.  The Department's final rule on student eligibility for HEERF states that all students who are or were enrolled in an institution of higher education during the COVID-19 national emergency are eligible for emergency financial aid grants, regardless of whether they completed a FASFA or are eligible for Title IV. A new application called "The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriatons Act (CRRSAA)" was created and made available to students by email on June 13, 2022.  On August 11, 2022 all $21,059 HEERF II student aid was disbursed to 14 students via direct grants.