CARES ACT INFORMATION

Utilization of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF)

CARES Statistical Reports

 

  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.

PennWest California (PennWest California) signed and returned the federal Funding Certification and Agreement Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on April 13, 2020.

  1. 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.

PennWest California received a total of $4,312,587 from the U.S. Department of Education for the sole purpose of providing our students with emergency grants to assist with eligible expenses, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.

  1. 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).

As of May 6, 2020, PennWest California has distributed a total of $2,041,800 to eligible students. Additional funds have been set aside for students to submit an appeal application (available in August) for additional funding consideration. 

  1. 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.

As of May 6, 2020, PennWest California estimates there are 3,408 students, both at the undergraduate and graduate level, 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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

  1. The 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 May 6, 2020, a total of 3,408 PennWest California students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a) (1) of the CARES Act.  This number may grow as students submit an appeal application for additional emergency funds for fall 2020 and spring 2021.

  1. 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.

The University CARES Act Committee, consisting of representatives from the Enrollment Management and Administration and Finance divisions, created an initial distribution plan to provide assistance to students who were enrolled in a face-to-face academic program as of mid-March 2020 and who filed a 2019-20 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). PennWest California elected to divide funds equally among all eligible students.

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

Students were provided an email message from President Geraldine Jones regarding the specifics of CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants. In addition, students were directed to the PennWest California website to learn more about CARES Act funding at https://www.calu.edu/coronaplan/index.aspx. The FAQ for Students (https://www.calu.edu/coronaplan/faq-covid19.aspx) also includes information about eligibility for CARES Act emergency relief funds.

*Note: In preparing the 30-day Fund Report, institutions should use data suppression and other methodologies to comply with, and protect the personally identifiable information from student education records, under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). For example, the Department does not expect institutions to report information about a group of 10 or fewer students.  For example, if the total number of eligible students, the total of number of students who received Emergency Financial Aid Grants, or the difference between the two numbers is less than 10, then the institution should not display the number of students or the amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students on publicly available website(s) controlled by the institution.

Institutions that accurately report the information listed above will meet the initial reporting requirements. For subsequent reports and reporting for other related HEERF programs, the Department will notify participating institutions of the Department’s preferred reporting method. The Department may choose to collect additional information from institutions in accordance with the reporting requirement stated at Section 18(e) of the CARES Act and the Certification and Agreement.