Office of Student Financial Services

HEERF Grant I (CARES Act) Reporting

CARES Act – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)Grants to Students Required 30-day Report (July 7, 2020; updated Aug. 21, 2020; updated Oct. 5, 2020; updated Jan. 4, 2021 — FINAL)

On March 27, 2020, the President of the United States signed the CARES Act (H.R. 748), which provides emergency relief funds to organizations and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), found in Section 18004 of the CARES Act, provides funding to institutions of higher education "to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus."

The following information is provided by Brandeis University University as required by the Department of Education (ED) to comply with the reporting requirements under the CARES Act. The first report was submitted within 30 days of receipt of the funds; subsequent updates were posted 45 days after the first and then 10 days after each quarter thereafter, ending with Dec. 15, 2020, the date on which all funds were expended.

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1. 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% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students

Brandeis University University signed and returned the Certification and Agreement to the U.S. Department of Education on June 29, 2020, for the HEERF Funds for Emergency Financial Aid Grants. Brandeis University received its grant award notification on July 14, 2020.

In keeping with the terms of the certification, Brandeis University will use no less than 50% of the funds received, as stated under 18004(c) of the CARES Act, to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants directly to students.

2. 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

Brandeis University University is slated to receive a total of $3,198,465 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, of which $1,599,233 will be provided directly to students impacted by campus disruption due to the COVID-19 crisis.

On Aug. 5, 2020, the university received $1,508,150 of the student portion of this award and $0 of the institutional portion of this award. As of Oct. 5, 2020, the university has received $1,539,525 of the student portion and $1,539,525 of the institutional portion of this award, for total funds received of $3,079,050.

As of Sept. 21, 2020, $1,521,404 had been distributed, as of Sept. 30, 2020, $1,539,777.85 had been distributed and, as of Dec. 15, 2020, the full $1,599,233 had been distributed.

3. 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 July 7, 2020, Brandeis University had 1,743 HEERF-eligible students; as of Aug. 21, 2020, Brandeis University had 1,757 HEERF-eligible students; as of Dec. 15, 2021, Brandeis University has 1,782 HEERF-eligible students.

All enrolled students were notified of the availability of this grant via email on June 8, 2020, and were given until June 24, 2020, to apply for these funds by filing a valid FAFSA; reminder emails were sent periodically with the last one sent July 14, 2020. Eligible students who did not request the funds by July 16, 2020, were sent an email on July 20, 2020, with instructions on how to apply for the funds via an application to SFS.

As of June 7, 2020, 1,743 awards were offered, in an amount of $1,300 or $650, depending on the student's FAFSA SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC); 1,006 awards were requested and distributed. As of Aug. 21, 2020, 1,746 awards were offered, in an amount of $1,300 or $650, depending on the student's FAFSA SAI; 1,638 awards were requested and distributed.

As of Oct. 5, 2020, 1,658 awards were requested and distributed. As of Jan. 4, 2021, 1,769 awards were requested and distributed to 1,661 unique students. All funds were expended as of Dec. 15, 2020.

4. 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

Brandeis University determined that 1,743 students were eligible as of July 7, 2020, 1,757 were eligible as of Aug. 21, 2020, and 1,722 were eligible as of Oct. 5, 2020 (the number decreased due to withdrawals and leaves of absences for fall 2020) and 1,731 were eligible as of Dec. 15, 2020.

As of July 7, 2020, and Aug. 21, 2020, respectively, 2,382 and 2,168 students were determined to be potentially eligible to participate 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.

As of Oct. 5, 2020, 83 students were potentially eligible (21 of these declined the award) and, as of Dec. 15, 2020, 121 students were potentially eligible, to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act based on the methodology of actual FAFSAs filed and no HEERF Grant yet received.

5. 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 the date of the initial 30-day disclosure, the total number of students who have been offered an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 1,743; 1,638 grants were distributed as of Aug. 21, 2020; 1,658 grants were distributed as of Oct. 5, 2020; and 1,769 grants were distributed as of Dec. 15, 2020 to 1,661 unique students.

All funds were expended as of Dec. 15, 2020.

6. 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

Brandeis University is using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the application to apply for a HEERF grant. Any current student enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, not including programs offered exclusively online, during the spring 2020 semester, who filed a valid 2019-20 or 2020-21 FAFSA by June 24, 2020, and was determined to be eligible for Title IV federal aid by the Office of Student Financial Services, is eligible for a HEERF grant.

As of July 7, 2020, 1,743 students met the criteria for the grant. Students with a FAFSA SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) of $10,000 or below qualified for a grant of $1,300 and students with an SAI above $10,000 qualified for a grant of $650. If all students awarded a grant request distribution of these funds, the entirety of the $1,599,233 allotment would have been expended. Students had until July 16 to request distribution of these funds.

As of July 16, all funds were not expended so an application form was created for eligible students who did not already receive a grant to apply for these funds. An email with the application instructions was sent on July 20, 2020, to all eligible students who did not request the grant by July 16, 2020.

On Nov. 18, 2020, the university sent an email to 115 graduate and undergraduate students who were enrolled in a degree program in the spring 2020 semester, filed a 2020-21 FAFSA and eligible for federal aid, considered independent by federal standards and had an SAI of $0, inviting them to submit an application for consideration of up to $500 more in HEERF Grant funds to spend the $49,170 in remaining funds.

As of Aug. 21, 2020, $77,829 in funds remained; as of Oct. 5, 2020, $57,757.50 in funds remained; as of Dec. 15, 2020, $0 in funds remained.

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

An email was sent to all enrolled students (excluding those who began their studies after spring 2020) on June 8, 2020, explaining the eligibility requirements and the June 24 deadline to submit the FAFSA. The e-mail also directed students to the university’s HEERF website. This website includes eligibility requirements for the grant, deadlines and timelines, and FAQS.

On July 2, 2020, an email was sent to all grant-eligible students with instructions on how to request distribution of their HEERF grants. On July 8 and July 14, a reminder email was sent to all grant-eligible students who did not request their funds.

On July 20, 2020, an email was sent to all eligible students who did not request their funds by July 16, 2020, with an attached application form and instructions on how to complete and return it to SFS to apply for the grant. No deadline was given, however, it indicated funds would be distributed on first come, first served basis until funds are expended. Multiple reminder emails about the grant and the application process have been sent since July 20, 2020. Future eails will also include newly eligible students since the June 24, 2020, FAFSA deadline

On Nov. 18, 2020, the university sent an email to 115 graduate and undergraduate students who were enrolled in a degree program in the spring 2020 semester, filed a 2020-21 FAFSA and were eligible for federal aid, were considered independent by federal standards, and had an SAI (Student Aid Index, formerly EFC) of $0, inviting them to submit an application for consideration of up to $500 more in HEERF Grant funds to spend the $49,170 in remaining funds. All funds were expended as of Dec. 15, 2020.

HEERF Grant I (CARES Act) Reporting

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