On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law. Among other things, the CARES Act created the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Section 18004(c) of the CARES Act requires each recipient college to use no less than fifty percent of the total funds received to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care). Though colleges have some level of discretion as to who receives individual grants, and the amount of each grant, the U.S. Department of Education has provided guidance indicating specific minimum eligibility requirements, including that the student be eligible for federal financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act and that they incurred eligible expenses.
Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (Franklin Cummings Tech) signed the certification of agreement required to participate in the program, with $1,918,087 allocated to the college for the student portion of the HEERF fund. As part of the process to distribute these funds, Franklin Cummings Tech established under our Student Wellness and Support an Emergency Fund to support students who incurred certain eligible expenses resulting from the disruption of campus operations due to the crisis. For students who were eligible for HEERF grants, they received them via direct deposit or paper check (student choice). For students who were impacted similarly, but who were not Title IV eligible, they were distributed grants from other funding sources that support the Student Wellness and Support Emergency Fund (supported by grants and individual donations from the greater Franklin Cummings Tech community).
In order to be eligible for a grant from either funding source, students had to complete the college’s online application/survey and be determined to be eligible for a grant from one of the two funding sources. Announcements were sent via newsletters and emails to all potentially eligible students, explaining the Student Relief Fund, and included a link to the online application for emergency support. For students to be eligible for distribution from the HEERF funding source, the following criteria was established to determine eligibility:
- Met the requirements under the CARES Act to be an eligible student to receive HEERF grant.
- Current student in Spring 2020 (verified through College Registrar)
- Title IV eligible (completed FAFSA)
- Incurred eligible expenses (certified by student or staff)
Once a student was determined to be eligible for a grant from the HEERF funding source, the amount was determined, using a sliding scale based on assessment of the student’s financial resources, using data obtained by the college during the student’s most recent financial aid application. The sliding scale is weighted to award larger grants to students with less financial means. All eligible students were guaranteed a minimum grant amount of $600. In early June, the college began sending grants to eligible students. Below is more detailed information on the number of students and the dollars awarded, while still protecting individual students’ privacy.
Updated Reporting Information
Institutional HEERF Report Q1 – March 2021 (pdf)
Institutional HEERF Report Q2 – June 2021 (pdf)
Institutional HEERF Report Q3 – September 2021 (pdf) – FINAL REPORT
Institutional HEERF Report Q4 – December 2021 (pdf) – FINAL REPORT
Institutional HEERF Report Q1 – March 2022 (pdf) – FINAL REPORT
HEERF Report Q2 – June 2022 (pdf)
HEERF Report Q3 – September 2022 (pdf)
HEERF Report Q4 – December 2022 (pdf)
HEERF Report Q1 – March 2023 (pdf)
HEERF Report Q2 – June 2023 (pdf)
HEERF Report Q3 – September 2023 (pdf)
Student Portion HEERF Report Q1 – March 2022
Most Recent Report Date: 4/1/22
| REPORTING INFORMATION | |
| Description | Amount |
| Total Number of Title IV Eligible Students in Fall 2021 | 377 |
| Total Amount Received under the HEERF Student Portion | $1,918,087 |
| Total Amount Distributed to Students as of the Most Recent Report Date | $1,397,550 |
| Total Number of Students Awarded from HEERF Funding Source | 686 |
Student Portion HEERF Report Q4 – December 2021
Most Recent Report Date: 1/1/21
| REPORTING INFORMATION | |
| Description | Amount |
| Total Number of Title IV Eligible Students in Fall 2021 | 399 |
| Total Amount Received under the HEERF Student Portion | $1,918,087 |
| Total Amount Distributed to Students as of the Most Recent Report Date | $1,351,464 |
| Total Number of Students Awarded from HEERF Funding Source | 680 |
Student Portion HEERF Report Q3 – September 2021
Most Recent Report Date: 10/1/21
| REPORTING INFORMATION | |
| Description | Amount |
| Total Number of Title IV Eligible Students in Spring/Summer 2021 | 292 |
| Total Amount Received under the HEERF Student Portion | $1,918,087 |
| Total Amount Distributed to Students as of the Most Recent Report Date | $649,274 |
| Total Number of Students Awarded from HEERF Funding Source | 542 |
Student Portion HEERF Report Q2 – June 2021
Most Recent Report Date: 7/1/21
| REPORTING INFORMATION | |
| Description | Amount |
| Total Number of Title IV Eligible Students in Spring/Summer 2021 | 290 |
| Total Amount Received under the HEERF Student Portion | $1,918,087 |
| Total Amount Distributed to Students as of the Most Recent Report Date | $505,968 |
| Total Number of Students Awarded from HEERF Funding Source | 527 |
If you would like to learn more about applying for the Emergency Funds or have questions about other resources available through the Wellness Office, please contact Emma Michalowski, Director of Student Wellness and Support by email at emichalowski@franklincummings.edu or by phone at 617-588-1302.
