Student and Institutional Aid
This landing page fulfills Reporting Requirements and links directly to required reports for CARES Act HEERF Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students and the CARES Act HEERF Institutional Portion Grant.
CARES Act and CRRSAA
The COVID-19 public health crisis has caused disruption and hardship for many Westchester Community College students. In response to pressing financial need of students around the country due to the disruption of campus operations from coronavirus, Congress passed and signed into law the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security). on March 27, 2020 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) on December 27, 2020. Both laws authorized the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I under the CARES Act and HEERF II under CRRSAA) to meet the emergency financial aid needs of eligible students impacted by the COVID crisis and to help post-secondary institutions ensure the continuity of learning, promote health and safety on campus, and address institutional challenges posed by the disruption in normal operations due to COVID.
Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act provides financial aid to colleges for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students and Institutional Aid. An authorized representative of the College has signed and returned a Certification and Agreement to the US Department of Education for both grants.
WCC acknowledges that it has used, or intends to use, no less than 50% of the total funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. The college has received two awards that total $7,195,672 under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act law.
WCC has determined an estimated total of 4,396 students are 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. Eligible students enrolled in Spring 2020 have been contacted by email. All students may apply and eligibility will be determined.
Emergency Financial Aid
One section of the law established the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), to provide aid to colleges to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students for eligible expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 (see CARES Act Emergency Student Financial Aid Application below). WCC requested these funds on 4/14/2020 and received an award of $3,597,836 on 4/23/2020. The CARES Act Application for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students can be found here.
Institutional Aid
Another section of the law established the Institutional Portion, which provides financial assistance to colleges to meet needs due to the disruption of campus operations from coronavirus. This can be used to provide additional Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students, reimburse the college for campus operations expenses due to the coronavirus disruption, help with remote operations and instruction, and other eligible needs. WCC requested funds on 4/23/2020 and received an award of $3,597,836 on 5/7/2020.
Minority Serving Institution-Hispanic Serving Institution Aid
Another section of the law established the Minority Serving-Hispanic Serving Institutional Portion under Title III and Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which also provides financial assistance to colleges to meet needs due to the disruption of campus operations from coronavirus. This can also be used to provide additional Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students, reimburse the college for campus operations expenses due to the coronavirus disruption, help with remote operations and instruction, and other eligible needs. WCC requested funds on June 29, 2020 and received an award of $464,305 on 7/02/2020.
Reporting on Emergency Financial Aid Grants Distributed to WCC Students
| Date of Report | Total Amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants Distributed | Total Number of Students Receiving Emergency Financial Aid Grants | CARES Act HEERF Grant Reports |
| 5/7/2020 | 0 | 0 | Student Emergency Aid Report 1 |
| 6/7/2020 | 0 | 0 | Institutional Report 1 |
| 6/26/2020 | $959,698 | 829 | Student Emergency Aid Report 2 |
| 7/21/2020 | $1,153,258 | 991 | Cares Act Institutional Aid Report 2 |
| 8/7/2020 | $1,274,958 | 1,081 | CARES Act Minority Serving Institutions Report 1 |
| 8/21/2020 | $1,274,958 | 1,081 | Student Emergency Aid Report 3 |
| 9/5/2020 | $1,274,958 | 1,081 | CARES ACT Minority Serving Institutions Report 2 |
| 9/30/2020 | $1,860,858 | 1,849 | CARES Act Student Emergency Aid Report 4 (Q1) |
| 12/31/2020 | $3,914,108* | 3,455 | CARES Act Student Emergency Aid Report 5 (Q2) |
| *Note: $3,597,836 in Student Emergency Aid has been distributed through P424E201126 (Student Portion), which is now fully expended, and $316,272 was distributed through P425F202001 (Institutional Portion) of (a)(1) | |||
| 03/31/2021 | $6,002,208* | 5,219** | CARES ACT Student Emergency Aid Report 6 (Q3) |
| *Note: $3,597,836 in Student Emergency Aid has been distributed through P424E201126 (Student Portion), which was fully expended on 12/31/2020. An additional $2,404,372 in Student Emergency Aid has been distributed through P425F202001 (Institutional Portion), as of 03/31/2021.
**Note: There were 5,219 total awards to students since the grant began. Some students were eligible to receive awards in multiple semesters. The unduplicated number of students receiving awards is 3,451. |
This landing page fulfills Reporting Requirements and links directly to required reports for CARES Act HEERF Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students and the CARES Act HEERF Institutional Portion Grant.
SUNY Westchester Community College CARES Act
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES ACT Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3) if applicable (Report OMB Control Number 1840-0849).
Total Amount of Funds Awarded:
Section (a)(1): Institutional Portion $3,597,836 Section (a)(2): $468,715 Section (a)(3): $0
| Quarter Ending: 09/30/2020 Date of Report: 10/22/20 (*Updated on 1/15/2021) | Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollars | Amount in (a)(2) dollars | Link to Report | |
| CATEGORY | ||||
| Q1 | Purchasing, leasing, or renting additional equipment or software to enable distance learning, or upgrading campus wi-fi access or extending open networks to parking lots or public spaces, etc. | $175,708 | $23,881 | Click here Q1 Report |
| Quarterly Expenditures for Each Program | $175,708 | $23,881 | ||
| Total of Quarterly Expenditures | $199,589 | |||
| Quarter Ending: 12/31/2020 Date of Report: 1/10/2021 | Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollars | Amount in (a)(2) dollars | Link to Report | |
| CATEGORY | ||||
| Q2 | Providing additional emergency financial aid grants to students. | $316,272 | $0 | Click here Q2 Report |
| Providing reimbursements for tuition, housing, room and board, or other fee refunds. | $184,272 | $0 | ||
| Campus safety and operations. | $8,713 | $0 | ||
| Replacing lost revenue due to reduced enrollment. | $0 | $464,305 | ||
| Purchasing faculty and staff training in online instruction; or paying additional funds to staff who are providing training in addition to their regular job responsibilities | $92,958 | $0 | ||
| Purchasing, leasing, or renting additional equipment or software to enable distance learning, or upgrading campus wi-fi access or extending open networks to parking lots or public spaces, etc. | $23,881 | -$23,881 | ||
| Quarterly Expenditures for Each Program | $626,096 | $464,305 | ||
| Total of Quarterly Expenditures | $1,066,520 | |||
| Quarter Ending: 03/31/2021 Date of Report: 04/10/2021 | Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollars | Amount in (a)(2) dollars | Link to Report | |
| CATEGORY | ||||
| Q3 | Providing additional emergency financial aid grants to students. | $2,088,100 | $0 | Click here Q3 Report |
| Providing reimbursements for tuition, housing, room and board, or other fee refunds. | $0 | $0 | ||
| Covering the cost of providing additional technology hardware to students, such as laptops or tablets, or covering the added cost of technology fees. | $199,847 | |||
| Providing or subsidizing the costs of high-speed internet to students or faculty to transition to an online environment. | $80,200 | |||
| Campus safety and operations. | $39,389 | $0 | ||
| Replacing lost revenue due to reduced enrollment. | $0 | $4,410 | ||
| Purchasing faculty and staff training in online instruction; or paying additional funds to staff who are providing training in addition to their regular job responsibilities | $92,006 | $0 | ||
| Purchasing, leasing, or renting additional equipment or software to enable distance learning, or upgrading campus wi-fi access or extending open networks to parking lots or public spaces, etc. | $15,000 | $0 | ||
| Quarterly Expenditures for Each Program | $2,514,542 | $4,410 | ||
| Total of Quarterly Expenditures | 2,518,952 | |||