July 2021 Report

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Report

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I, II and III) legislation provides funding to institutions for emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Here is Ohio Wesleyan University’s report on grants between April and June 2021.

Ohio Wesleyan University acknowledges and assures that:

1. A signed Certification and Agreement was returned to the U.S. Department of Education; Between March 31 and June 30, 2021:
2. At least $813,801.73 (the balance of HEERF I and HEERF II funds) will be provided as emergency financial aid grants to students;
3. $828,250.00 in emergency financial aid grants has been provided to students
4. The estimated total number of OWU students with exceptional need during academic year 2020-2021 eligible to participate was 335.
   
   Prior to March 31, 2020, the estimated total number of OWU students 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 at the declaration of the coronavirus pandemic was 1,294; at the start of the 2020-21 academic year the estimated total number of OWU students eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants was 1,140.
5. The 335 students identified with exceptional need could receive direct distribution of funds via ACH and check payments or could ‘opt-in’ to have emergency grant funds applied to outstanding balances on their OWU student account, or a combination of the two.
   
   Prior to March 31, 2020, the number of payments to students who had received emergency financial aid grants was 2,766, which included multiple payments to some individuals.
6. Representatives from the offices of Finance, Student Engagement and Success, Admission, Financial Aid, and Advancement identified eligible students as those who completed the FAFSA and had expected family contributions (EFCs) of less than $5,000 this academic year to be eligible for federal grant funds made available to Ohio Wesleyan for COVID-19.
   
   Previously, OWU formed a task force, chaired by Dwayne Todd, Ph.D., vice president for Student Engagement and Success, to determine which students were to receive the initial emergency financial aid grants (HEERF I) and the amount of such grants.
7. OWU notified students identified with exceptional need via email that they were the recipients of an emergency financial aid grant as part of the CRRSAA. They were provided guidance regarding 1) allowable uses of the funds (see below), 2) options for distribution (direct distribution and an option to ‘opt-in’ to have their emergency grant funds applied to any outstanding balance on their OWU student account), and 3) where to direct related questions. Students were instructed to login to a unique web page to complete an online form to indicate their election for distribution by March 26, 2021 with application of credits to student accounts and direct payments to students expected by April 9, 2021.

Allowable uses of HEERF funds:

• Any component of the cost of attendance (such as tuition, room, board, books, supplies, transportation),
• Other miscellaneous costs (such as loan fees, child care and dependent care)
• Emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus (such as tuition, food, housing, health care, including mental health care, or child care)

Per the IRS, these funds are not taxable.