CARES Act Student Emergency Funds

Below is a full report of the HEERF I (CARES), HEERF II (CRRSAA), and HEERF III (ARP) fund usage to date.

1. 1. On April 11^th, 2020, MPTC signed and returned to the US Department of Education the Certification and Agreement for funds distributed from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
   2. MPTC used no less than 50% of the total funds ($7,461,720) received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
   3. MPTC received $3,843,431 from the Department to award Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.  This amount includes $607,643 in HEERF I (CARES Act), $607,643 in HEERF II (CRRSAA), and $2,628,145 in HEERF III (ARP) Funding.
   4. As of April 1^st, 2022, $3,843,431 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants has been distributed to MPTC students under the Terms and Conditions outlined in the Grant Award Notification.  $469,345.48 was distributed during this reporting period (January 1 – March 31, 2022)  All HEERF III student funding has been expended.
      1. CARES previously reported:
         1. April 1 – June 30, 2020:  $302,135 in funding was awarded
         2. July 1 – September 30, 2020: $305,508 in funding was awarded (All HEERF I funds total of $607,643 were distributed)
         3. October 1 – December 31, 2020: No awards made (All HEERF I funds were distributed)
      2. CRRSAA previously reported:
         1. January 1 – March 31, 2021: $468,500 in funding was awarded
         2. April 1 – June 30, 2021: $139,143 in funding was awarded (All HEERF II funds total $607,643 were distributed)
      3. ARP previously reported:
         1. July 1 – September 30, 2021: $444,250 in funding was awarded
         2. October 1 – December 31, 2021: $1,714,549.52 in funding was awarded
         3. January 1 – March 31, 2022: $469,345.48 in funding was awarded (All HEERF III funds total of $2,628,145 were distributed)
   5. The estimated total number of MPTC students 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 (HEERF I) was 2802, of the CRRSAA (HEERF II) was 2284, and of the ARP (HEERF III) was 2919.
   6. As of April 1^st, 2022, a total of 3517 MPTC students (unduplicated) have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant with HEERF I, II and III funding.  269 awards were made this quarter (January 1 – March 31, 2022)
      1. Previous CARES Report information:
         1. April  – June 30, 2020: 272 students received an award
         2. July 1 – September 30, 2020: 205 students received an award.  A total of 477 unduplicated students received HEERF I
         3. October 1 – December 31, 2020: No funding was awarded
      2. Previous CRRSAA Report information:
         1. January 1 – March 31, 2021: 937 students received an award under HEERF II
         2. April 1 – June 30, 2021: 279 students received an award under HEERF II.  A total of 1216 unduplicated students received funding
      3. Previous ARP Report information:
         1. July 1 – September 1, 2021: 813 students received an award under HEERF III
         2. October 1 – December 31, 2021: 453 students received an award under HEERF III
         3. January 1 – March 31, 2022: 939 students received an award under HEERF III.  A total of 1535 unduplicated students received an award under HEERF III
   7. The College used the following process to determine which students received Emergency Financial Aid Grants and the based on the Terms and Conditions of the Grant Award Notification.
   8. HEERF I (CARES Act)
      1. Eligibility
         1. Students eligible to apply for COVID-19 Emergency Financial Aid Grant
            • Must have completed the FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) and meet all financial aid eligibility requirements for the Spring, Summer or Fall 2020 semester.
            • Must be admitted to a financial aid eligible program and be enrolled in at least one credit during the time of the award. Credits of W, F, NS are not included in total amount of credits for semester.
            • Must have been financially impacted by the closure of campus due to Covid-19
         2. Students not eligible for COVID-19 Emergency Financial Aid Grant
            • Students who are in a certificate, boot camps, or basic education courses, Economic and Workforce Development, Department of Corrections, dual credit (high school), avocational or non-credit courses
            • Not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or Timeframe, according to Financial Aid Guidelines
            • In Default of previous student loans
            • DACA student
            • Undocumented or unknown citizenship
            • Non-legal residents
            • International students utilizing F-1 and J-1 Visas
      2. Application instructions, directions, or guidance provided by MPTC to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants by funding stream:
         1. Eligible MPTC students completed the CARES ACT Student Emergency Funds application found in the Student Portal to be considered for funding.
         2. Funding categories for COVID-19 Emergency Financial Aid Grant are defined in the Federal Act as follows: Course Materials; Books; Technology; and Childcare.
         3. Applications were reviewed daily to: 1) verify eligibility and 2) determine the amount of the award student identified as need(s) and amount.
         4. Within 36 hours, applications are reviewed, determinations are made, and applicants are notified as to whether or not they would receive an award, and if applicable the amount.
      3. Instructions, directions, or guidance provided by MPTC to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants included:
         1. Directions for how to apply including location of the online application.
         2. Statement included on application: Through the CARES ACT, MPTC received a $607,643 grant from the US Department of Education to provide direct relief to help students impacted by Covid-19. These emergency assistance grants will be funded 100% with US Department of Education money, no College resources will be used.
         3. Students were required to certify that these expenses are related to the disruption of their education due to COVID-19 on the application.
   9. HEERF II (CRRSAA)
      4. Eligibility:
         1. FAFSA on file
         2. Enrolled in 1 or more credits
         3. Enrolled in a certificate or program.
         4. Can award to those not meeting other Title IV eligibility requirements.
      5. Funding Amount: Block award of $500 to all eligible applicants until exhausted.
      6. How Funds were prioritized: Looking at each student’s Expected Family Contribution, students with an EFC of $0-$15,000 were determined students with highest need. These eligible students would be given priority to funds. Any funds remaining after the initial students were awarded based on next lowest EFC and continue to award based on lowest EFC to highest EFC until all funds were depleted.
      7. Application Process – There was no application process for awarding HEERF II funds. The Financial Aid Office determined those eligible and awarded to students based on eligibility requirements and prioritized based on our above defined neediest students. Students with no FAFSA on file were give 4 weeks to complete the application in order to qualify.
      8. Awarding Process – Awarding began the week of March 8, 2021. A list of eligible students with a completed FAFSA was generated. This list was then sorted by EFC to award those by order of lowest to highest EFC. The first award group who received funds had an EFC between $0 and $15,000. The second award group was awarded after 4 weeks of time to allow them to complete the FAFSA. EFCs between $0 and $15,000 were awarded. The third and fourth award group consisted of all students and were awarded until funds were exhausted. The funds were added to the financial aid award and disbursed through financial aid. All funds will be refunded directly to students regardless of whether they have a balance at MPTC for current or prior semester unless completed an authorization form.
      9. Communication – Students who were awarded were sent an email and a text or phone call notifying of their award. All students received directions on how to complete an authorization form if they wished to pay off their MPTC balance.

HEERF III (ARP)

Block Award Grants:

1. 1. 1. Eligibility:
         1. FAFSA filed with Pell eligible EFC.
         2. Enrolled in 1 or more undergrad credits.
         3. Enrolled in an eligible certificate or program.
         4. Can award to those not meeting other Title IV eligibility requirements.
      2. Funding Amount:
         1. Summer: Block award of $500 for those enrolled in 1 or more credits.
         2. Fall: Block award of $500 for those enrolled in 6+ credits and $250 to those enrolled in 5- credits to all eligible applicants until exhausted.
         3. Spring: Block award of $500 for all students enrolled in 1 credit or more until funds were exhausted.
      3. How Funds were prioritized: Looking at each student’s Expected Family Contribution, students with a Pell Eligible EFC were determined as students with highest need. These eligible students would be given priority to funds.
      4. Awarding Process – Awarding began the week of August 2^nd, 2021 for summer, the week of September 20^th for fall semester and the week of February 21st, 2022 for the spring semester. A list of eligible students with a completed FAFSA was generated. This list was then sorted by EFC to award those by order of lowest to highest EFC.
      5. Communication – Students who were awarded were sent an email notifying them of their award. All students received directions on how to complete an authorization form if they wished to pay off their MPTC balance.

Application Awards:

1. 1. 1. Eligibility:
         1. Students must be enrolled in at least one undergraduate course in program codes 10, 30, 31, 32, 61, 97 may apply to receive assistance.
         2. Enrolled in 1 or more undergrad credits.
      2. Funding Amount:
         1. Application range from $1 – $2,000
      3. How Funds were prioritized: Students self-identified emergency circumstances by completing the application process.  The application asked them to identify which categories they had extreme need and what assistance they needed to cover costs.  Categories included: food, housing, transportation, tuition, day care, technology, books, course related materials.
      4. Awarding Process – Applications became available October 6th when an email was sent to all students in an eligible program code.  As students completed the application, their information was reviewed to confirm they were enrolled for at least 1 credit in an eligible program.
      5. Communication – On October 6th an email was sent to all students in an eligible program code.  On November 11th a follow up email was sent to all eligible students who had not yet applied for any funding.  Students who applied and were awarded were sent an email notifying them of their award.  All students who were applying for tuition completed the authorization form if they wished to pay off their MPTC balance.