CARES Grant Reopened

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2021 Annual Report
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The application for the spring 2021 CARES ACT grant will be made available on Monday, February 1, 2021.  The link to the Spring 2021 CARES grant application will be emailed to all currently enrolled students. Students who qualify for the grant will receive $500 if they are enrolled in 9 credit hours or more.  Students who qualify for the grant will receive $250 if they are enrolled in 3 to 8 credit hours.  There will be no deadline to apply; however, funds are limited. Eligible students will continue to be awarded until all funds are disbursed. 

CARES ACT Funding Distributions Table

UA Cossatot CARES Grant Recipient Study

What is the UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant?
The UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant is a $500 grant that was established with federal funds to help students that were/are financially impacted due to the disruption of campus operations caused by COVID-19. Students impacted by the disruption of campus operations can apply for a UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant.  Please click here to learn more.

Who is eligible for a UA Cossatot CARES ACT Grant?
Students enrolled for the fall semester and have submitted a 2020-2021 FAFSA application by the fall deadline could be eligible for the funding. Students must also meet federal aid and other eligibility criteria, including but not limited to:

• Being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (i.e. permanent resident or conditional permanent resident)
• Having a valid Social Security number
• Having a high school diploma, GED or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting
• Being degree-seeking
• Must be currently enrolled as of September 1, 2020
• Must be enrolled in a for-credit program either half or full-time
• Cannot be in default on federal student loans
• Being registered with Selective Service, if male
• Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Cannot exceed aggregate loan limit or Pell Grant lifetime usage
• Cannot owe an overpayment on federal aid programs

Can I qualify even if I am enrolled in a completely online program?
Yes. Students can access FALL CARES ACT Grants no matter what mode of delivery their courses are. Face-to-face, completely online, or hybrid courses all are eligible.

Can I receive a FALL CARES Grant if I already received one during the summer or spring semester?
Yes. As long as students have been impacted negatively by COVID-19 due to the disruption of campus operations, they can apply for a FALL CARES ACT Grant, regardless of whether they have received one during previous semesters.

How do I apply for the UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant?
After you have completed the enrollment process for the fall semester at UA Cossatot a link to the application will be sent to your UA Cossatot e-mail.

What constitutes eligible expenses to qualify for emergency funding?
This could apply to a variety of financial costs directly tied to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, which may include money spent for unanticipated travel, replacement of medications, emergency child care due to extended school closures, computers or other technology requirements, etc.

Do I have to repay a UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant?
No. The Federal Emergency Aid Grant funds are designed to be a grant, not a loan.

Where are the funds coming from? Is there some sort of disaster relief fund?
UA Cossatot has been awarded funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which provides emergency grants for eligible college students impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Currently, there is still $233,000 in available funds for FALL CARES ACT Grants. A complete breakdown on how much money UA Cossatot received and how it has been disbursed can be found on the UA Cossatot website.

How will UA Cossatot disburse the money?
Once a qualified student completes the application the grant funds will be mailed to the student. The address that is provided on the grant application is the address that will be used.  PLEASE be certain that you enter the correct address when filling out the UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant application. FALL CARES ACT Grants will be awarded starting September 2, 2020.

Would this funding reduce my financial aid?
No, this money does not reduce nor replace financial aid. It is a one-time grant.

How much money is available for each applicant?
Each student is eligible for a $500 UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant.

What documentation is required to be submitted with the application?
The documentation requirements are listed on the UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant Enrollment form.

How can students obtain more information about the UA Cossatot FALL CARES ACT Grant?
Continue to check the UA Cossatot website for the most up-do-date information. 

What additional resources are available if I need access to food?
UA Cossatot students can contact the Center for Student Success to access our local food pantries.

Do I need to report financial aid or grants on my federal tax return?
Each financial award you receive from the federal government and other sources will have separate and unique tax consequences for your federal tax return. Visit the https://www.irs.gov/IRS website for assistance.

UA Cossatot has signed and returned the Recipient’s Funding Certification and Agreement form for the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and intends to use the funds to provide the mandated amount of at least 50% of the emergency financial aid grants to eligible UA Cossatot students who were enrolled during the Spring 2020 semester.

As of July 21, UA Cossatot has disbursed $164,000 to 328 students. UA Cossatot estimates that about 650 students are eligible to participate in the programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant..

The total amount UA Cossatot will receive under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) student portion will be $387,631. These funds are for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.

Only students who are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), may receive emergency financial aid grants. Eligible students include those who have a valid 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the college and who attended at least one in-person class prior to March 13^th. Those students received the following email on May 11, 2020 and on June 16, 2020. 

Email sent to students on May 11, 2020. 

Dear Student,
On March 27, 2020 Congress approved The CARES Act allocating federal funds directly payable to students whose education was interrupted this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The US Department of Education has developed effective guidance regarding eligibility, awarding, and distribution. CARES Act funding is now available to qualifying UA Cossatot students. Based on your enrollment status as of March 13, 2020, it has been determined that you could possibly be eligible for the $500 UA Cossatot CARES Grant.
In order to receive funding, an online application form must be completed. The short, digital form will allow UA Cossatot to fulfill reporting requirements to the federal government regarding COVID-19 related expenses.
The application can now be completed by following clicking HERE and must be completed by May 31, 2020. For instructions on how to login click HERE.
Once a qualified student’s application is validated and approved, grant funds will be mailed to the student in check form to the address provided on the grant application. PLEASE be certain that you enter the correct address when completing the UA Cossatot CARES Grant application.
Should you have any questions please visit www.cccua.edu/CARES.  Please remember we are all fighting COVID-19 together and UA Cossatot is here for you!

 

Email sent to students on June 16, 2020. 

Dear Student,
On March 27, 2020 Congress approved The CARES Act allocating federal funds directly payable to students whose education was interrupted this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The US Department of Education has developed effective guidance regarding eligibility, awarding, and distribution. CARES Act funding is now available to qualifying UA Cossatot students. Based on your enrollment status as of March 13, 2020, it has been determined that you could possibly be eligible for the $500 UA Cossatot CARES Grant.
In order to receive funding, an online application form must be completed. The short, digital form will allow UA Cossatot to fulfill reporting requirements to the federal government regarding COVID-19 related expenses.
The application can now be completed by following clicking HERE and must be completed by June 30, 2020. For instructions on how to login click HERE.
Once a qualified student’s application is validated and approved, grant funds will be mailed to the student in check form to the address provided on the grant application. PLEASE be certain that you enter the correct address when completing the UA Cossatot CARES Grant application.
Should you have any questions please visit www.cccua.edu/CARES.  Please remember we are all fighting COVID-19 together and UA Cossatot is here for you!

Ineligible students include those who were taking only online courses before March 13^th, international students, concurrently enrolled high school students, and students not enrolled in a degree-seeking program. Students who need assistance with their 2019-2020 FAFSA can contact UA Cossatot’s Financial Aid Department.

The amount of each award was set to $500. UA Cossatot will distribute grants to eligible students who were enrolled for the Spring 2020 semester, have a 2019-2020 FAFSA on file, and complete the UA Cossatot CARES Grant Form by May 31, 2020. Funds will be disbursed to students by mail. 

Students who have a completed FAFSA on file and those students who have been determined to be eligible for Federal Student Aid will be awarded the grant. The criteria to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA include, but are not limited to, the following: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen; a valid Social Security number; registration with Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in an approved homeschool setting.

The CARES Act expressly requires that institutions provide the emergency financial aid grants directly to students “for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare)”. Funds may not be used for other purposes.

Students were referred back to the Frequently Asked Question information page below for more information on the UAC CARES Grant and their elegiblity.

CARES ACT Information for UA Cossatot Students