ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – On March 13, 2020, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency concerning the COVID-19 outbreak and signed into law the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 27, 2020.
The CARES Act allocated nearly $14 billion to support colleges and universities around the country. The most significant portion of that funding allocation provided that $12.56 billion will be distributed to institutions using a formula based on student enrollment.
Of the amount allocated to each institution under this formula, at least 50 percent has to be reserved to provide students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.
Central Alabama Community College (CACC) received a total allocation under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) in the amount of $1,222,052, of which 50% or $611,026 is to be distributed to eligible students, according to a press release from CACC.
“CACC is pleased to be able to offer assistance through these funds to our students during this challenging pandemic,” said Acting President Jeff Lynn. “Our students are at the heart of everything that we do, and we want to do what we can to support them and their success.”
In accordance with federal and state guidance, CACC is providing benefits to all eligible students with actual amounts based on enrollment intensity, whether full-time or part-time, similar to allocation distributions used by the Department of Education in awarding Pell Grant funds.
Eligible students, according to federal regulations, include those students who were enrolled in a degree or certificate program in Spring 2020, who were taking at least one traditional course that was transitioned online as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who are FAFSA-eligible as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. Dual enrollment, transient students, and students taking classes for audit do not qualify for funds.
ICACC established four funding tiers ranging from $250 to $850 based on an enrollment/participation status as of March 13, 2020.
Students who meet basic eligibility criteria for federal financial aid according to the 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) automatically receive consideration. Students must complete the 2019-2020 FAFSA no later than June 30, 2020 to receive consideration.
As of today, CACC has assisted 748 students with funds totaling $507,800. Awards will continue through July to assist all eligible students who were enrolled during the Spring 2020 term
