Funding for Student Emergency Grants
Revised Quarterly Reports (June 29, 2022)
All Quarterly Reports
2022
Q2 - Quarterly Report (July 10, 2022)
Q1 - Quarterly Report (Apr 10, 2022)
2021
Q4 - Quarterly Report (Jan 10, 2022)
Q3 - Quarterly Report (Oct 10, 2021)
Q2 - Quarterly Report (Jul 10, 2021)
Q1 - Quarterly Report (Apr 10, 2021)
2020
Q4 - Quarterly Report (Jan 28, 2021)
HEERF III – American Rescue Plan Act (ARP Act)
Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement signed by Bucks County Community College and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, this institution has, or intends to, provide emergency financial aid grants to students in an amount equivalent to the sum of two amounts: 50 percent of the portion of its allocation that is based on formula factors from CRRSAA section 314(a)(1)(A)-(D) and 100 percent of the portion of its allocation that is based on formula factors from CRRSAA section 314(a)(1)(E)-(F).
Bucks County Community College has been awarded funding totaling $6,020,437 pursuant to Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act. We have also received an institutional award of $5,748,540 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.
The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act, as of July 11, 2022, is $4,631,500. This total distribution includes $123,187 in funds that were previously awarded pursuant to Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA, as described in the HEERF II section, below. These grants were awarded to a total of 2,013 students.
The estimated total number of unduplicated students at the institution deemed potentially eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants to students under Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act was 42,402.
The current maximum amount of emergency assistance that can be provided by this grant is $5,000. This amount is subject to change and is dependent upon available funds. If approved, the amount of student grants will be determined by their enrollment status, whether they were awarded a Federal Pell Grant for the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and/or 2022-2023 academic years, and whether they incurred expenses for their children or dependents.
- Level 1. All students who applied for funding and otherwise met the eligibility requirements for this program received the base amount of $1,000.
- Level 2. Students who applied, met eligibility requirements, and received a PELL grant in either 2020 or 2021 received an additional maximum of $1,500. Students who received a PELL grant and whose EFC was under $1,000 received the maximum of $1,500 – all others received $1,000.
- Level 3. All students who applied for funding, met the eligibility requirements, and indicated expenses for child and/or dependent care received an additional $2,500.
Thus, a student who met eligibility, received PELL and had an EFC of under $1,000, and indicated expenses for child and/or dependent care, qualified for the maximum award of $5,000.
All potentially eligible students were sent an e-mail and a text message (if the student was “opted in” to receive text messaging) informing them of their potential eligibility and providing a link to an application where they could certify as to any eligible expenses they incurred related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Any student who applied for emergency financial aid grants under this program but were ultimately determined to be ineligible received an e-mail that confirmed this status and referred the student to other more appropriate resources.
To better target the distribution of limited funds remaining to those students who appear to demonstrate the greatest need (as required by the U.S. Department of Education), inactive students (i.e., students who are not enrolled in a course at Bucks County Community College for the semester in which the application for funding was received) who applied under this initiative from Summer 2022 forward could be deemed ineligible for funding, unless they were considered PELL-eligible in the 2020-2021, 2021-2022, and/or 2022-2023 academic years.
HEERF II - Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)
Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement signed by Bucks County Community College and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, this institution has, or intends to, provide emergency financial aid grants to students equal to what was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) and (c) of division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (Pub. L. 116–136).
Bucks County Community College has been awarded funding totaling $1,508,462 pursuant to Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA. We have also received an institutional award of $5,149,577 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.
The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA as of October 10, 2021 is $1,385,275. These grants were awarded to a total of 966 students. The remaining $123,187 allocated from this distribution were combined with student funds from Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act and awarded in the same fashion as described in the HEERF III section, above.
The estimated total number of unduplicated 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 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA was 2,996.
The institution distributed awards based upon credit enrollment during the Spring semester of the 2020-2021 academic year. The base awards were computed as follows:
Full Time (12+ credits) $1,700
3/4 Time (9-11 credits) $1,275
1/2 Time (6-8 credits) $850
<1/2 Time (1-5 credits) $425
PELL recipients who applied for emergency financial aid grants during the Spring semester of the 2020-2021 academic year received $300 in addition to their respective base awards.
All potentially eligible students were sent an e-mail and a text message (if the student was “opted in” to receive text messaging) informing them of their potential eligibility and providing a link to an application where they could certify as to any eligible expenses they incurred related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Any student who applied for emergency financial aid grants under this program but were ultimately determined to be ineligible received an e-mail that confirmed this status and referred the student to other more appropriate resources.
HEERF I - Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
Pursuant to the Certification and Agreement signed by Bucks County Community College and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, this 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 funding totaling $1,508,462 pursuant to Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act. 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.
The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of February 8, 2021 is $1,508,462. These grants were awarded to a total of 1,334 students.
The estimated total number of unduplicated 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 was 3,249.
The institution distributed awards based upon credit enrollment during the Spring semester of the 2019-2020 academic year. The base awards were computed as follows:
Full Time (12+ credits) $1,000
3/4 Time (9-11 credits) $800
1/2 Time (6-8 credits) $400
<1/2 Time (1-5 credits) $200
PELL recipients who applied for emergency financial aid grants during the Spring semester of the 2020-2021 academic year received $200 in addition to their respective base awards.
All potentially eligible students were sent an e-mail and a text message (if the student was “opted in” to receive text messaging) informing them of their potential eligibility and providing a link to an application where they could certify as to any eligible expenses they incurred related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Any student who applied for emergency financial aid grants under this program but were ultimately determined to be ineligible received an e-mail that confirmed this status and referred the student to other more appropriate resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the CARES Act, CRRSAA, and the ARP Act?
The CARES Act, CRRSAA, and the ARP Act are a collection of federal legislation that seeks to provide financial assistance to students through higher education institutions for expenses that students may have incurred as a result of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Who is eligible for these funds and how is eligibility thus determined?
The answer depends upon the legislation.
CARES Act
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. If a student has filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then the student has demonstrated eligibility to participate in programs under Section 484 the HEA. Students who have not filed a FAFSA but who are eligible to file a FAFSA also may receive emergency financial aid grants. Students enrolled in exclusively distance education courses as of March 13, 2020 were not considered eligible.
CRRSAA
Eligibility generally followed that as defined under CARES Act, above, with the inclusion of students enrolled in exclusively distance education courses as of March 13, 2020.
ARP Act
Students who are or were enrolled in an institution of higher education during the COVID-19 national emergency are eligible for emergency financial aid grants from the HEERF, regardless of whether they completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or are eligible for Title IV.
Can I receive CARES Act or CRRSAA funds if I am not currently making “Satisfactory Academic Progress” (SAP)?
No. Students must be eligible for federal financial aid in order to receive CARES Act or CRRSAA funds, which requires meeting the requirement for making “Satisfactory Academic Progress.”
When will I receive my funds?
We will verify eligibility and disburse funds to students in accordance with federal guidelines. Due to the high volume of requests, we cannot predict a timeframe. If funds are remaining after all applications are received by the deadline, we will review and determine how best to allocate remaining funds.
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. Notably, this does not apply to CRRSAA or ARP Act funds.
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 have an overdue balance in their student account. Students can choose to pay their overdue tuition; however, they would need to receive CARES Act funds and then pay their outstanding bill. Thus, 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.
Can Bucks County Community College use funds provided to a student through CRRSAA or the ARP Act to pay outstanding or overdue tuition bills?
Yes, both CRRSAA and the ARP Act will allow students to indicate on their application that they wish to apply their grant toward their outstanding balance. If you indicate that you wish to use these funds to pay your balance, your award will first be applied to your student account and any excess will be sent to you via a refund check (on a weekly basis) or applied by ACH through your banking institution.
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 Bucks County Community College website for more information. You may also contact CARESact@bucks.edu and the Bucks team will do our best to connect you with any available resources.