HEERF III - ARP

All HEERF III Funds have been awarded and this grant is now closed.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed in to law on March 11, 2021. The ARP provides for education stabilization through emergency funding to institutions of higher education through Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF III). Institutions accepting ARP funding must commit to providing at least 50% of the funds in the form of financial aid grants to students, which can be used for any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Cowley’s minimum required allocation to students is $2,576,229.

Cowley is awarding the HEERF III grant through block awards to students. No application is necessary and award amounts are based on enrollment and financial status with Pell eligible students prioritized.

Cowley will be processing 2 rounds of HEERF III Funds. You must meet the following requirements to qualify:

ROUND 1 – SUMMER 2021:

Enrolled in 1 or more credit hours for the Summer 2021 semester on July 6th
No application is required
Authorization opt-in form required to apply funds to account balance - due by July 12th
- Please log into Cowley Connect and under the Student Tab click on the Student Finances & Payments section to find the HEERF III Opt-In Form

ROUND 2 – FALL 2021:

Enrolled in 1 or more credit hour for the Fall 2021 semester as of October 22, 2021
No application is required
Authorization form required to apply funds to student balance – due by Oct 22nd
- Opt-In form is located in Cowley Connect under the Student Finances and Payments Section in the student tab

ROUND 3 – SPRING 2022 – FINAL ROUND:

Enrolled in 1 or more credit hour for Spring 2022 semester as of February 25, 2022
No application is required
Authorization form required to apply funds to student balance – due by Feb 25th
- Opt-In form is located in Cowley Connect under the Student Finances and Payments Section in the student tab

Through the American Rescue Plan, DACA and International Students are NOW eligible for HEERF III funds and will fall into one of the categories as outlined in the HEERF III FAQs and awarded accordingly. If you wish to have your HEERF III Funds applied to your account balance, please log into your Cowley Connect account and fill out the Opt-In form.

Questions? Contact financialaid@cowley.edu or 620-441-5304.

Which students are eligible for HEERF III awards?

Institutions are allowed much broader eligibility criteria for ARP HEERF III awards as opposed to the criteria identified by the U.S. Department of Education for CARES HEERF I and HEERF II funding. International, DACA, and Undocumented students are NOW eligible. Institutions must prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell grants.

Enrolled in 1 or more credit hour for the Summer 2021 semester on July 6th, 2021
Enrolled in 1 or more credit hour for the Fall 2021 semester as of October 22, 2021
Enrolled in 1 or more credit hour for the Spring 2022 semester as of February 25, 2022

How is Cowley distributing HEERF III awards?

Cowley is awarding HEERF III grants through block awards to students. Award amounts are based on enrollment and financial aid status with Pell eligible students prioritized.

ROUND 1: SUMMER 2021

Cowley’s model identifies 7 categories of award:

6+ credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
1-5 credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
6+ credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
1-5 credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
6+ credit hours, NO FAFSA
1-5 credit hours, NO FAFSA
High school students
Enrollment and financial aid status are determined on July 6th 2021. Students not enrolled by this date for Summer classes will not receive an award.

ROUND 2: FALL 2021

Cowley’s model identifies 10 categories of award:

12+ credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
6+ credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
1-5 credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
12+ credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
6+ credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
1-5 credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
12+ credit hours, NO FAFSA
6+ credit hours, NO FAFSA
1-5 credit hours, NO FAFSA
High school student

Enrollment and financial aid status are determined on October 22nd 2021. Students not enrolled by this date for Fall classes will not receive an award.

ROUND 3: SPRING 2021 – FINAL ROUND

Cowley’s model identifies 10 categories of award:

12+ credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
6+ credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
1-5 credit hours, FAFSA, Pell Eligible EFC
12+ credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
6+ credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
1-5 credit hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell Eligible
12+ credit hours, NO FAFSA
6+ credit hours, NO FAFSA
1-5 credit hours, NO FAFSA
High school students

Enrollment and financial aid status are determined on February 25th, 2022. Students not enrolled by this date for Spring classes will not receive an award.

How do students apply for HEERF III awards?

Students who are enrolled in classes do not need to complete an application nor submit any paperwork to receive funds. Cowley is awarding HEERF III grants through block awards based on enrollment and financial aid status as noted above. You will however, need to sign the form to have your funds applied to your student billing account balance, if you so desire. This form is available on Tiger Connect.

What expenses qualify for HEERF III awards?

HEERF III funds can be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Examples of permissible costs include:

Tuition and fees
Food
Housing
Health care (including mental health care)
Child care

Will HEERF III awards be applied to a student's Cowley account charges?

Students may use HEERF III funds to reduce or possibly pay in full their account balance by completing an authorization form. To provide authorization, log into Cowley Connect and submit the Opt-In Form. The form is due NO LATER THAN Friday, February 25, 2022 and can be found on Cowley Connect.

Students not providing authorization will not have the grant applied to their Cowley account and will therefore receive a refund check. This may mean the student still has a balance due.

Students whose award is in excess of their student account charges will receive a credit balance refund for the difference in the form of a check.

Will students be able to receive additional HEERF II awards in the future?

HEERF III funds are meant to provide short-term assistance to students. Cowley will be awarding 2 rounds of HEERF III funds. Round 1 was for students enrolled in Summer 2021 classes. Round 2 will be awarded for the Fall 2021 semester beginning October 29,2021 and if funds remain available after the Fall 2021 disbursement, a Spring round is possible. Round 3 will be awarded for the Spring 2022 semester beginning March 11, 2022 and this will be the final round of HEERF Funding

Is here any other financial assistance available to students?

The Cowley Financial Aid Office is committed to eliminating financial barriers and helping students identify ways to make their education affordable. If you would like information regarding financial aid opportunities, or the financial aid process at Cowley, please email financialaid@cowley.edu.

HEERF III REPORTING – ARP

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed in to law on March 11, 2021. The ARP provides for education stabilization through emergency funding to institutions of higher education through Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF III). Institutions accepting ARP funding must commit to providing at least 50% of the funds in the form of financial aid grants to students, which can be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Cowley’s minimum required allocation to students is $2,576,229.

HEERF Quarterly Reports

AWARDING GRID FOR SUMMER 2021:

Hours	Award Amounts
6+ Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$800
1-5 Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$650
6+ Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$600
1-5 Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$450
6+ Hours, No FAFSA	$450
1-5 Hours, No FAFSA	$300
High School Students	$200

AWARDING GRID FOR FALL 2021:

Hours	Award Amounts
12+ Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$1,200
6+ Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$900
1-5 Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$500
12+ Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$800
6+ Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$600
1-5 Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$300
12+ Hours, No FAFSA	$500
6+ Hours, No FAFSA	$300
1-5 Hours, No FAFSA	$200
High School Students	$200

AWARDING GRID FOR SPRING 2022:

Hours	Awards Amounts
12+ Hours, FAFSA Pell eligible	$500
6+ Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$375
1-5 Hours, FAFSA, Pell eligible	$200
12+ Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$325
6+ Hours, FAFSA, Non-Pell	$250
1-5 Hours, FAFS, Non-Pell	$125
12+ Hours, No FAFSA	$200
6+ Hours, No FAFSA	$125
1-5 Hours, No FAFSA	$75
High School Students	$75

REPORTING TIMELINE:

Reports are due quarterly and must be posted on the institution’s primary website no later than 10 calendar days after the calendar quarter on January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10.
Once funds are fully spent, the institution may indicate that this is the institution’s final quarterly posting and that it covers all remaining HEERF fund expenditures for that specific HEERF Student Portion of funding. After posting, no more quarterly public reporting of Student Portion funds is required.

QUARTERLY REPORT	TOTAL FUNDS DISBURSED	PERCENT OF FUNDS DISBURSED	TOTAL STUDENTS AWARDED
Q2 2021 Reporting Due: July 10, 2021 Date of Report: 7/7/21	Q2 2021: $0.00 Cumulative: $0.00	Q2 2021: 0.00% Cumulative: 0.00%	Q2 2021: 0 Cumulative: 0
Q3 2021 Reporting Due: October 10, 2021 Date of Report: 10/4/21	Q3 2021: $448,100 Cumulative: $448,100	Q3 2021: 17.4% Cumulative: 17.4%	Q3 2021: 941 Cumulative: 941
Q4 2021 Reporting Due: January 10, 2022 Date of Report: 1/4/2022	Q4 2021: $1,555,500 Cumulative: $2,003,600	Q4 2021: 60.4% Cumulative: 77.8%	Q4 2021: 2,458 Cumulative: 3,399
Q1 2022 Reporting Due: April 10, 2022 Date of Report: 4/4/2022	Q1 2022: $572,629 Cumulative: $2,576,229	Q1 2022: 22.2% Cumulative: 100%	Q1 2022: 2,276 Cumulative: 5,675

President’s Authorization Statement

At Cowley College, we acknowledge that we have agreed to the terms of the ARP (American Rescue Plan) certification and agreement guidelines. We also acknowledge that we are using these funds to provide the mandated amount of 50% of emergency financial aid grants to our students until funds are exhausted.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dennis C. Rittle, CC President

Date	January 10, 2022
Total # of Students Eligible	3,399
Total # of Students Receiving Funding	3,399
Total Funding Distributed	$2,004,100

Acknowledgment

Cowley College acknowledges that as of this date, this figure represents the number of students who are eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant as of the end of the Fall 2021 term. The remaining funds will be disbursed in the Spring 2022 term based on enrollment data in February 2022.

Cowley College acknowledges that as of this date, the figure indicated represents the number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant and the total funding that has been distributed to students as of our January 10, 2022 reporting date.