HEERF Grant II (CRRSAA)
Emergency Grants under the CRRSAA Act
HEERF Grant II Reporting
Section 314(1)(a) of the Coronavirus, Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act 2021 (CRRSAA), enacted on Dec. 27, 2020, allows higher education institutions to use certain funds allocated by the Department of Education to support students and higher education institutions with expenses and financial needs related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Brandeis University is pleased to announce it has been allotted a second round of funds, designated under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), to assist students with emergency grants. These one-time emergency grants to students may be used for "any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
The main criterion for a HEERF II Grant is the demonstration of a genuine, eligible expense and that the capacity for continued study may be in jeopardy due to financial hardship.
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a student currently enrolled for the spring 2021 semester in a degree program; a student enrolled for the spring 2021 semester in a degree program offered exclusively online (e.g., GPS programs) must be enrolled full time, as defined by the program.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Must have filed a 2019‐20 or 2020‐21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that confirms your citizenship status. (Students who are eligible for Title IV federal aid, but did not accept this aid, are eligible for the HEERF grant.) Please note that the 2020-21 FAFSA EFC will be used to determine the amount of the HEERF II Grant; if only a 2019-20 FAFSA is on file, the 2019-20 EFC will be used.
- Must have experienced a financial hardship related to any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
- Once grants are posted for eligible students starting in mid-March, students will need to certify that eligible expenses were incurred when requesting disbursement of the grant in Sage. The request for disbursement must be submitted no later than Friday, April 9, 2021. The expenses incurred must be equal to, or in excess of, the amount of the HEERF II Grant awarded, plus any HEERF Grant I and Brandeis Emergency Fund Grant payments received since March 13, 2020.
HEERF II FAQs
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Brandeis is receiving $1,599,233 to be shared directly with students.
If you are eligible to file a FAFSA, but have not yet filed one, you must complete a 2020-21 application online by April 1, 2021. Undergraduate and graduate students who would not ordinarily file a FAFSA are encouraged to do so to receive this funding. The Office of Student Financial Services will review your application and approve your eligibility for the HEERF II Grant.
Students who meet the eligibility criteria will receive notification of approval for funding via email starting in mid-March.
The amount of funds distributed to each student is based on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA. Eligible students with a FAFSA EFC of $10,000 or below will be eligible for $1,200; those with an EFC of $10,001 to $25,000 will be eligible for $600; and those with an EFC above $25,000 will be eligible for $300.
Please note that the 2020-21 FAFSA EFC will be used to determine the amount of the HEERF II Grant. If only a 2019-20 FAFSA is on file, the 2019-20 EFC will be used.
Once you are notified that you have been approved for the grant, you will need to log into Sage and request the grant using the refund link in your Student Center no later than Friday, April 9, 2021. As part of the process, you will need to certify that you have expenses equal to, or exceeding, the amount of the HEERF II Grant awarded to you, plus any previously awarded HEERF Grant I and Brandeis Emergency Fund Grant payments received since March 13, 2020. You are not required to prove or itemize expenses.
You may request that the funds be sent to you via direct deposit or check. Checks cannot be picked up on campus.
Eligible expenses are those expenses related to any component of the student's cost of attendance or emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
Applicants are required to confirm that they incurred eligible expenses equal to, or exceeding, the amount of the HEERF II Grant awarded to you, plus any previously awarded HEERF Grant I and Brandeis Emergency Fund Grant payments received since March 13, 2020.
You are not required to prove or itemize expenses. Normal expenses are not eligible. Documentation of these expenses is not required.
To apply for the grant, you need only submit the FAFSA application, if you have not already done so, by April 1, 2021. If you are eligible to receive the grant, it will be posted to your student account starting in mid-March and you will have until April 9, 2021, to request disbursement of the grant via Sage.
When you request the funds, you will be required to confirm that you incurred eligible expenses. Documentation of these expenses is not required.
You are not required to be a financial aid recipient to receive a HEERF II Grant. However, Brandeis will direct more funding to students with demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
These funds are available regardless of whether or not you have applied for or received a HEERF I or Brandeis Emergency Fund Grant. However, you can only accept the grant if your eligible expenses equal, or exceed, the amount of the HEERF II Grant awarded to you, plus any previously awarded HEERF Grant I and Brandeis Emergency Fund Grant payments received since March 13, 2020.
No, this fund does not negate nor replace financial aid, and it is a one-time grant.
Yes, Brandeis is also receiving $2,853,225 for university purposes. This funding will be used to defray expenses and lost revenue associated with coronavirus (e.g., COVID-19 testing, PPE, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, and other needs to continue to ensure the safety of our campus).
No. Federal funds are only available to currently enrolled students.
Unfortunately, yes. The federal legislation that established the grants exclude international students, DACA students and undocumented students. Students in these categories who have eligible expenses can, however, apply for funding from the Brandeis Emergency Fund by completing an application.