CARES Act Information

Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds

Since the formal emergency declaration due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 13, 2020 there have been three separate bills enacted which provide emergency relief funding to institutions of higher learning. Alverno College has received and fully distributed funding to students for the first two bills. Alverno is currently finalizing details to distribute funding for the third bill. Below you will find a summary of each bill, criteria used to distribute the funds and the current status.

Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act -- (HEERF I)

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund provided financial support to higher education institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. At least 50 percent of funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act are to be allocated for emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted. These grant funds, which do not need to be repaid, are meant to cover expenses like food and housing; childcare; transportation; and technology.

Alverno has signed and returned to the US Department of Education the Certification and Agreement and received CARES Act funds. A total of $869,259 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants has been disbursed to students since Monday, May 11, 2020 per the process outlined below.

The Financial Aid office prioritized disbursement based on groups of students who have been the most directly impacted, including students who were living or working on campus at the time of the outbreak and no longer have a source of income. All students interested in receiving assistance were required to submit an application.

• The Financial Aid office emailed applications for funding to students in waves. All students enrolled in the spring 2020 semester received an application.

• A total of $869,259 in grants has been awarded to 620 students from CARES I.
• There were 1393 students at the institution eligible to participate in Title IV programs in 2020, and thus eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of May 19, 2021: Applications have now been sent to all eligible students. The application period is closed.

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRSAA) Act -- (HEERF II)

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. This law allows for additional emergency grants to students at designated colleges and universities. Alverno has received an allocation and has distributed emergency grants to students based on a need prioritization including EFC, students with registration holds that may prevent them from continuing, students with housing or food insecurity, technology needs, tuition and other expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications for emergency grants have been sent to groups of students in waves based on this need prioritization. As of today, $862,964 has been distributed to 364 students.

As of May 19, 2021: At this time the applications received have exceeded the amount of available funding. The application period is closed.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) -- (HEERF III)

On March 11, 2021 President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). The grants available under this program are similar to HEERF I and HEERF II, with minor modifications.

COVID-19 Emergency Grants are intended to assist students who have emergency costs that have arisen due to coronavirus such as tuition, technology, food, housing, health care (including mental health), child care. The grants may also be used for any component of the cost of attendance.

FAFSA eligibility is no longer a requirement to receive an emergency grant. However in order to determine need, students must either complete the FAFSA or the Institutional Evaluation Form (email financial.aid@alverno.edu if you need the form).

If you or a family member whose income is included in your FAFSA have experienced job loss and your EFC is greater than 0, please email the Financial Aid Office at financial.aid@alverno.edu to see if you qualify for a re-evaluation of your 2021-22 FAFSA.

Emergency Grants will be prioritized to students with exceptional need. Students who have not previously received an emergency grant will also be prioritized. Applications will be emailed out to students in waves based on a need prioritization.There were 1,661 students that were eligible to participate in HEERF III as part of the American Rescue Plan. 

As of October 1, 2021: The application period for summer is now closed.  The funding is need-based and awarded on a priority basis. As of today a total of $873,572 in emergency grants have been awarded to 300 students. The application for round IV are now open, please see more information towards the top of the page.

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If you are a student who will not be able to continue your education without emergency funding, or if you know a student who will not be able to continue their education without emergency funding, please contact the office of Student Success:

• Danielle Giola, Director, Student Success: danielle.gioia@alverno.edu

All other questions can be directed to: 

• Naomi Coe, Director of Financial Aid: naomi.coe@alverno.edu

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund: Institutional Funding

In addition to the student aid funds, Alverno was awarded $994,286 in institutional funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (Section 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, and 18004 (a)(2) SIP and MSI) to help cover costs associated with significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus and other coronavirus-related expenses. Quarterly Reports are posted here detailing the spending of those funds: Quarterly Report 04-08-2022, Quarterly Report 10-06-2021, Quarterly Report 6-30-21, Quarterly Report Summary 6-30-2021,Quarterly Report 3-31-21, Quarterly Report Summary 3-31-2021Quarterly Report 12-31-20, Quarterly Report 10-30-20 Quarterly 5-6-2022, Quarterly Report 10-6-2021, Quarterly Report 1-10-2021, Quarterly Reports 5-6-2022, Quarterly Report 7-10-2021, Quarterly Report 6-30-2022 Quarterly Report 10-10-2022 Quarterly Report 1-9-2023 Quarterly Report 4-10-2023 Quarterly Report 7-10-23