HEERF Emergency Grant Reporting

Campus Life

Financial Aid

HEERF Emergency Grant Reporting

HEERF Emergency Grant Reporting

Reinhardt University has signed and returned the certification and agreement form to receive its Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) allocations from HEERF I (CARES Act), HEERF II, and HEERF III. As required by law, Reinhardt intends to and is in the process of providing the mandated amount of 50% of funding in the form of emergency financial aid grants to students. The total amount of emergency financial aid grant funding allocated to and received by Reinhardt is $3,281,440.

As of October 1, 2021, Reinhardt has distributed $3,261,340 in HEERF funding to 1,403 out of 1,641 students that met the eligibility requirements. Eligible students were required to complete an application to receive HEERF funding.

CARES Act

Per the requirements that were set at the time of HEERF I (CARES Act) funding distribution, Reinhardt determined that all students who meet the eligibility requirements specified by the Department of Education, have filed a completed 2019-2020 FAFSA prior to the end of the Spring 2020 semester, and have completed attendance (not fully Withdrawn) for the Spring 2020 semester are eligible to receive funding. The determination of the amounts distributed to each student is based on the disruption of campus activities when all on-campus Spring 2020 coursework was moved online.

Because the capability to attend all online coursework was not previously required of on-campus students, each student that attended on-campus coursework during the Spring 2020 semester incurred an additional requirement to possess a computer system and have internet access at home to complete coursework for the semester. Whether the student previously had the technology required to participate in online coursework or not, these emergency payments represent reimbursement of expenses required to participate in fully online coursework.

Data from Reviews.org was used to determine the current average cost of monthly broadband internet service as $65. Reinhardt’s transition to all online coursework was implemented on 3/16/20 and the Spring 2020 semester ended on 4/30/20, so 1.5 months of internet service was required for an estimated internet cost of $97 for the period of online instruction.

From this data it has been determined that the estimated average Technology expense required to participate in online instruction is $729.

The Agreement that was signed with the Department of Education includes the below:

“The Recipient should be mindful of each student’s particular socioeconomic circumstances in the staging and administration of these grants”

With that part of the agreement in mind, Reinhardt’s method of distribution fully reimburses Pell Grant eligible students for the estimated average Technology expense of $729. After accounting for the funding for Pell Grant eligible students, this allows students that are not eligible for Pell Grant to receive $595 which represents a partial (81.6%) reimbursement for the estimated average Technology expenses.

Students that are eligible to receive the emergency financial aid grant funds were sent an e-mail with the below language asking them to complete a simple application online:

Reinhardt University has received funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that is to be distributed to students in the form of emergency grants. This funding is intended to assist with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 crisis, and more details about the funding can be found on the Reinhardt University website.

 

Based on the eligibility requirements provided by the Department of Education and the distribution method determined by Reinhardt, it has been determined that you are eligible to receive CARES Act Emergency Grant funds. These funds will be distributed via mailed check. To receive the funds that you are eligible for, please follow the below steps:

 

-The address at the top of this letter is the current Permanent Address that Reinhardt has on file for you, and this is the address that the check would be mailed to. If this address is incorrect please go to Eagleweb and request an update to your Permanent Address prior to completing the following steps.

 

-After you have confirmed your Permanent Address please follow the below link to complete a simple application for the funds. The link is password protected and the password is also below.

 

(The application link is only available to eligible students.)

 

-After you submit your application you will receive a confirmation e-mail from us within 2 business days. The confirmation e-mail will include the amount of CARES Act Emergency Grant funds you will receive and an estimated date of when your check will be mailed.

 

If you do not receive a confirmation e-mail within 2 business days of submitting the application or have a question about the CARES Act Emergency Grant please contact financialaid@reinhardt.edu for assistance.

The application to be completed by eligible students asks for their First Name, Last Name, and Reinhardt ID#. The student is also required to sign the below agreement before funding can be received:

“By signing this agreement, I attest that I have incurred expenses from any or all of the below categories that were related to the disruption of Reinhardt campus activities due to the Coronavirus pandemic:

  • Food
  • Housing
  • Course Materials
  • Technology (Due to transition to online coursework)
  • Health Care
  • Child Care

I also attest that I was sent communication from Reinhardt confirming that I am eligible to receive emergency grant funding from the CARES Act to assist with the expenses described above. I understand that the amount of emergency grant funding I will receive from the CARES Act may not fully reimburse me for the expenses. I also understand that the emergency grant funding will be distributed via paper check and will be mailed to the Permanent Address that I currently have on record with Reinhardt, and it is my responsibility to confirm that my Permanent Address is correct in my Eagleweb account prior to submitting this application.”

After submitting their application, eligible students are sent the below confirmation e-mail explaining their eligibility amount and the date that their check will be mailed:

“We have received your CARES Act Emergency Grant application and are currently processing your Emergency Grant funds to send to you. You will receive $x in Emergency Grant funding and a check will be mailed to the current Permanent Address that you have on file with Reinhardt on or before (mailing date) Please allow a few days after this date for your check to be delivered by the United States Postal Service.

 

If you previously submitted an update to your Permanent Address in Eagleweb it should now be processed, and your updated address should now be showing. If you did submit an update please check and make sure that the address has been updated in Eagleweb, if an update you submitted has not been processed please let us know and we will check into it. If you have any questions, please contact financialaid@reinhardt.edu for assistance.”

HEERF II and III

HEERF II and III funding has been distributed in a similar method to HEERF I (CARES Act) funding. Funding amounts were based on a scale of CARES Act funding that was allocated to students, this method provided a total of $3,010 to Pell eligible students and $2,150 to Non-Pell eligible students. The same application and communication methods were used for HEERF II and III that were used for CARES Act with the below differences:

  • Students were given an option on the HEERF II/III application to have the funding applied towards any balance on their student account. If this option was selected, funds were applied to the student’s account and any funding remaining after balances were paid were distributed to students in a check.
  • US Non-Citizens were included in the eligible population and were given the opportunity to apply for funding due to updated federal guidance, this population was not included in the CARES Act funding distribution per the federal guidance at the time.

Office of Student Financial Aid

Phone: 770.720.5667
Fax: 770.720.9126
financialaid@reinhardt.edu

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday: 8:30 AM-5:00 PM