Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Program II (CRRSAA)
On December 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA). This new law provides the U.S. Department of Education with funds to distribute to institutions of higher education in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The U.S. Department of Education has made a portion of these funds available to the University of South Alabama (South) to ensure learning continues for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, under the CRRSAA as HEERF II. These funds are earmarked to support students that have experienced unexpected financial challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic related to any component of their cost of attending school - such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
Unlike the CARES Act, which funded the previous emergency grants to students in 2020, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants. However, students do not need to be Pell recipients or eligible for Pell grants to be identified as having some unmet need. Our application process asks students to identify and attest to their need, as a result of the coronavirus. This information will be combined with any FAFSA data, and their total financial aid package to determine level of unmet need.
These emergency grants may be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance, for costs that have arisen due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
The application will open to students on February 3, 2021. To ensure consideration for funding students should complete the application by
the priority deadline date of February 14, 2021. The review of applications received by the priority deadline will begin on February
15, 2021 and may continue through February 25, 2021. Students that applied by the
priority deadline date can expect to be notified by February 25, 2021.
The application portal is now closed. Any applications received after the priority
date will be reviewed in the order they are received and emergency grants may continue
to be awarded if funds remain. Students that applied after the priority date can expect
to be notified by March 1, 2021.
Note: This page is dedicated to the new funding (HEERF II) established by the CRRSAA. Information pertaining to the HEERF established by the CARES Act can be found on the website for the HEERF Round I (CARES Act).
For questions not covered in the FAQs, please contact the USA Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund contact team at HEERF@961381.com.
FAQs for Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Pub. L. 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020), provides additional funding for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Round II awarding. Approximately $5.7 million has been made available to USA for a grants to assist students in responding to the disruption in the learning environment created by the coronavirus. to students that meet the HEERF II guidelines and who are currently enrolled at USA. These funds are earmarked to support students that have experienced unexpected financial challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic related to any component of their cost of attending school - such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care?
We know that many of our students are struggling financially through this global health crisis. USA has developed a plan to distribute these funds, following Department of Education guidelines. Emergency aid will be made available to students that meet the HEERF II guidelines and who are currently enrolled at USA. These funds are earmarked to support students that have experienced unexpected financial challenges as a result of the coronavirus pandemic related to any component of their cost of attending school - such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care?
Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with
exceptional need.
To be eligible to apply students must, as of the Spring 2021 term:
- have been enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student;
- been enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
USA will distribute the HEERF funding in a way that prioritizes students with the greatest demonstrated need and ensures that funds are distributed as widely as possible.
Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, as related to components of the student’s cost of attendance. And, while students are not required to have a FAFSA on file, the information provided via the FAFSA will be the primary way to qualify those with exceptional need.
However, students do not need to have a FAFSA on file, be Pell recipients or students
who are eligible for Pell grants, to be eligible to apply. The application will be
available to all currently enrolled students. For students applying for emergency
aid, award amounts will be distributed in tiers, determined by the number of applications
received and the specific need based on the application data and the students financial
aid profile.
Students may complete the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund application in their PAWS account.
To apply:
- Click here to log in to your student single sign on
- Select PAWS from the directory
- Select the “Student Services & Financial Aid” tab
- Select the “Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund - Round II” application link
The priority deadline date for this application is February 14, 2021. Review will begin on February 15, 2021.
USA will distribute the HEERF Round II funding in a way that prioritizes students with the greatest demonstrated need and ensures that funds are distributed as widely as possible.
Award levels (tiers) will be determined based on the following:
Those with exceptional need, as determined via the FAFSA, will be awarded in Tier 1. Those with a FAFSA on file, exhibiting moderate unmet need will be awarded in Tier 2. Those without a FAFSA on file, or those with a FAFSA that exhibit minimal unmet need will be awarded in Tier 3.
Students will be notified a number of times over the course of this process.
- Students will be notified immediately in PAWS when their application has been submitted successfully. You will be able to view you completed application there.
- Students will be notified of their eligibility when their application has been processed.
- Students will be notified if an award is processed.
All notifications will be sent to a students JagMail account.
The review of applications received by the priority deadline will begin on February 15, 2021 and continue through February 25, 2021. Students that applied by the priority deadline date can expect to be notified by February 25, 2021.
Any applications received after the priority date will be reviewed in the order they were completed and emergency grants may continue to be awarded if funds remain. Students that applied after the priority date can expect to be notified by March 1, 2021.
Schools received a limited amount of funding. Aid will be awarded across three tier levels. The level of award you receive will be determined by your exhibited level of unmet need.
In most cases a student will receive these funds one time. Funds will be awarded through the student account.
Please be sure your Electronic Direct Deposit (EDD) information is up to date. EDD allows delivery of aid and/or student emergency stipends and support to be processed directly to your bank account. EDD also eliminates delays due to address problems with student checks and helps you avoid a trip to the bank. You can verify your EDD information by following five easy steps.
- Click here to log in to your student single sign on
- Select PAWS from the directory
- Click Student Services and Financial Aid
- Click Student Records
- Click Direct Deposit Information (Enter Banking Information)
Allocations to institutions are based on a formula that includes the relative shares of Federal Pell Grant recipients, the relative shares of non-Pell Grant recipients, and the relative shares of Federal Pell and non-Pell Grant recipients exclusively enrolled in distance education prior to the coronavirus emergency.
The amount provided for student emergency grants, under CRRSAA, is dedicated to support
components of the student’s cost of attendance, for costs that have arisen due to
coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care)
or child care.
No, this is not a loan. These emergency grants may be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance, for costs that have arisen due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
No, these funds are exempt from the maximum federal financial aid amount students may receive.
To be eligible students must complete the CRRSAA HEERF Round II application. If funds remain available for future awarding USA will reopen the process, but a second CRRSAA HEERF Round II application will not be necessary.
To ensure consideration for funding students should complete the application by the priority deadline date of February 14, 2021.
The review of applications received by the priority deadline will begin on February 15, 2021 and continue through February 25, 2021. Students that applied by the priority deadline date can expect to be notified by February 25, 2021.
Any applications received after the priority date will be reviewed in the order they were completed and emergency grants may continue to be awarded if funds remain. Students that applied after the priority date can expect to be notified by March 1, 2021.
These emergency grants may be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance, for costs that have arisen due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
If you are currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program for the Spring 2021 academic term, you are eligible to apply.
An application is not a guarantee of award.
All applications submitted by the priority deadline date will be evaluated individually and the amount provided will be based on a number of student-specific factors and the funding available.
While the CRRSAA allows us to award to a variety of unmet need levels, it does require us to prioritize those with exceptional need. Those with Pell or significant unmet need as relayed through the data received through the students FAFSA will be awarded at the top tier. Those without Pell, or without significant unmet need will be awarded through the middle and bottom tiers - using their FAFSA data, and any other non-repayable aid as awarded through their student account.
The CRRSAA provides HEERF for items related to a student's cost of attendance. This means only items with regard to COA can be included in the unmet need assessment.
Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants, in awarding financial aid grants to students. However, students do not need to be only Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants.
In addition, students enrolled in exclusively distance education courses are now eligible
under the CRRSAA allocation formula.