Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

HEERF currently consists of three Federal Acts:  

  1. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
  2. Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act
  3. American Rescue Plan (ARP)

CARES Act

OVERVIEW
On March 26, 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide immediate relief to Americans impacted by COVID-19. As part of this legislation, institutions of higher education have been granted funding to provide students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

$573,627 has been allocated to Trocaire College for student emergency relief through the CARES Act. Trocaire has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement form necessary to access the funds, and intends to use 100% of these funds to provide emergency grants to students, within one year of the application date. Funds may only be provided for student expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus. 1006 Trocaire students meet the Federal criteria for Title IV eligibility.

PROCESS
Trocaire College has followed the Federal Eligibility requirements and awarded CARES Act dollars to: Title IV eligible, US Citizens in seated programs, enrolled for the entire semester.  Students in the BSN Program, Canadian Students, and students that withdrew completely after February 26, 2020 have received funding from the Trocaire College Emergency Relief Fund.  No application was necessary and funds were distributed directly to students.  Each student received a one-time disbursement of $450 and students were notified by email.

APPEAL FOR ADDITIONAL CARES ACT FUNDS
Trocaire College accepted COVID-19 related economic hardship appeals from students that self-identified via an on-line application under the heading “Appeal for Additional Financial Aid”. Applications were reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid and Student Accounts.  Students that met the following criteria were awarded a one-time disbursement of $2,000 for the Fall 2020 semester.  Funds were disbursed directly to the students and students were notified by email.  Students who received the initial $450 CARES Act disbursement were eligible to receive the CARES Act Appeal Funds.

Requirements to receive the CARES Act Appeal Funds:

  • US Citizens
  • Title IV Eligible
  • Enrolled in a seated program for the Spring 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters
  • Documentation of direct economic hardship caused by COVID-19

SUPPLEMENTAL CARES ACT DISBURSEMENT
Students that initially received the original $450 CARES Act and were still enrolled for Spring 2021 semester after census were given $80 each.  This awarded almost the entire balance of the CARES Act funds after the initial disbursement and Appeal funds.  506 Students qualified.

DISBURSEMENT AMOUNTS
As of March 18, 2021 Trocaire has distributed:

  • $569,180 in CARES Act Funds to 1006 students.
    • $452,700 Initial Disbursements of $450 to 1006 students
    • $76,000  Appeal Disbursements of $2,000 to 38 students
    • $40,480 Supplemental CARES Act Disbursements of $80 to 506 students

CARES Act Quarterly Reports

CARES Act Quarterly Report ending 9/30/2020
CARES Act Quarterly Report ending 12/31/2020
CARES Act Quarterly Report ending 3/31/2021
CARES Act Quarterly Report ending 6/30/2021
00281200 HEERF Q092021 101021
00281200_HEERF_Q122021_011022
00281200_HEERF_Q032022_04102022
00281200_HEERF_Q062022_07112022
00281200_HEERF_Q092022_10042022
00281200 HEERF Q122022 01092023
00281200 HEERF Q032023 04102023
00281200 HEERF Q062023 07102023


CRRSA Act

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020.  Trocaire College gave each student that was enrolled for the spring 2021 semester and met the federal qualifications below a one-time disbursement of $500.  This met the requirement to award a minimum of $573,626 in CRRSA student funds.

  • US Citizens
  • All students enrolled for the SP-21 Semester after the spring Census Date for one or more credits
  • Matriculating, Non-High School Students

1170 Students qualified for a total disbursement of $585,000.

ARP

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. Trocaire College was allotted $2,121,467.00 in student funds. The ARP requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants or undergraduates with extraordinary financial circumstances. ARP funds can be given to all students who are or were enrolled in an institution of higher education during the COVID-19 national emergency. Students are eligible for emergency financial aid grants, regardless of whether they completed a FAFSA or are eligible for Title IV.

Additional Requirements for Schools:
  • Institutions are required to spend a portion of their institutional share to implement evidence-based practices to monitor and suppress coronavirus in accordance with public health guidelines

*Please visit our Resources page for additional information.

  • Institutions must also conduct direct outreach to financial aid applicants about the opportunity to receive a financial aid adjustment by requesting a professional judgment.

*The Financial Aid Office emailed all FA-21 FAFSA Filers directly to inform them of the potential for a professional judgement. Students with a $0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) were provided the opportunity to appeal for additional aid.

*Direct emails will also be sent to all new SP-22 FAFSA Filers informing them of the potential for professional judgement.

Awarding Process:

A two-tier population selection approach was utilized based on EFC with variable award amounts. This ensured that need was prioritized and that students with higher need received higher award amounts.

Criteria:
  • US Citizens and non US Citizens and permanent residents
  • All students enrolled for any of the following: SP-21, SU-21 semester(s) after the census date for one or more credits and FA-21 semester after Drop/Add.
  • Matriculating students for Spring 21, Summer 21, and Fall 21
    • Tier 1 students with EFC between $0-$20,000 awarded $900 for each term attended
    • Tier 2 students with EFC $20,001+ and EFC unknowns awarded $625 for each term attended

$2,117,200.00 = Total amount disbursed

1,549 = Total number of unduplicated students that received funds