Emergency Grant Fund
This is to acknowledge that Bucks County Community College signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
Bucks County Community College has been awarded its first installment of CARES Act funding from the department in the amount of $1,508,462.00, for the eligible students. We have also received an institutional award of $1,508,462 to be used by the institution. Our goal is to assist students with the student portion of these funds in accordance with federal guidelines from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds provide direct emergency assistance for our students.
Emergency Fund Details (Updated February 2021)
The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission is $1,508,462 dollars spent for 1,334 students at this time. (updated February 8, 2021)
The estimated total number of students at the institution 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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act at Bucks at this time is 3249 eligible applicants. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Cares funds will be distributed based on enrollment during the Spring 2020 semester:
Full time- 12+ credits $1,000
¾ time 9-11 credits $ 800
½ time 6-8 credits $ 400
LT ½ time 1-5 credits $ 200
PELL recipients during the Spring 2020 semester will receive an additional award of $ 200 in addition to the award based upon your enrollment.
All eligible students were sent an email and who opt in for text messages were sent a message informing them they must complete an application to receive such funding, and to document an expense related to the Covid-19 disruption.
Additionally, students that did not meet the initial application requirements can still complete the FAFSA application to be considered if available funds remain. Once the FAFSA application is received and you if you meet the eligibility criteria you will be sent an email to complete the Cares Act funding.
Any student that was determined ineligible will receive an email with resources available during this time.
Below are several questions that students have been asking about the emergency aid. Please review and if you still have questions, please reach out to CaresAct@bucks.edu.
What is the CARES Act?
The CARES Act is the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stability act and provides financial assistance to students through higher education institutions for expenses that a student may have incurred as a result of the disruption from Covid-19.
Who is eligible for CARES Act funds and how is this determined?
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. This means that you have to be eligible to receive federal financial aid.
Can I receive CARES act funds if I am currently Unsatisfactory for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
No. Students must be eligible for federal financial aid in order to receive CARES act funds.
When will I receive my funds?
We will verify eligibility and disburse funds to students in accordance with federal guidelines. If you have applied for CARES Act funds for the Spring 2020 term, funds will be disbursed as soon as possible. Due to the high volume of requests, we cannot predict a timeframe. If funds are remaining after all Spring semester applications are received by the deadline we will review for summer 2020, students will receive funds after the first few weeks of the summer semester as we have to verify enrollment and attendance.
Are students enrolled in online only programs, prior to March 13, 2020, eligible for CARES act funding?
No. Students are not eligible for CARES act funds if they were enrolled exclusively in online courses on March 13, 2020.
Can Bucks County Community College use funds provided to a student through the CARES act to pay outstanding or overdue tuition bills?
No. The CARES Act requires institutions to provide the emergency financial aid grants to students even if they owe the college monies. Students can make the choice to pay their overdue tuition; however, they would need to receive the CARES Act funds, then pay their outstanding bill. So, if you owe the college any outstanding balance it may be beneficial for you to pay your balance after you receive your Cares Act funds.
What do I do if I am not eligible for federal financial aid, but have significant needs?
Please reach out to your advisor or counselor or review the resources we have on the College web page with this information. You may also contact CARESact@bucks.edu and the Bucks team will do our best to connect you with any available resources.