CARES ACT HEERF Funding
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act - Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant at the University of Massachusetts Medical School provides emergency financial assistance to eligible students who have expenses directly related to the disruption of campus operations due to Covid-19. UMMS has signed and returned the certification and agreement to the Department of Education and has been awarded $155,066 to use towards emergency funding.
In order to be considered for emergency funding from the CARES HEERF Grant:
- students must be matriculated,
- students must have a record of good conduct,
- students must have a current and demonstrable emergency need,
- students must demonstrate an ability and intention to complete their course of study at the University of Massachusetts Medical School,
- students must reside in the United States,
- students must currently be eligible for Federal Title IV Financial Aid, and
- the expense must have been incurred subsequent to March 13, 2020.
Examples of qualifying emergencies include, but are not limited to:
- expenses related to transition to remote learning,
- additional housing expenses due to changes in course schedule,
- unexpected expenses due to illness or death in the immediate family, specifically related to COVID-19, or
- other (students will be asked to provide a detailed explanation of the emergency).
The CARES HEERF Grant cannot be used for:
- previous educational debts,
- textbooks,
- credit card debts or loan payments,
- legal representation or services, or
- increased need due to lost wages.
Maximum Award: $2000 subject to supporting documentation. However, the final award amount will be based on need as described in the student’s application and as supported by the appropriate documentation.
As the grant draws on a limited pool of funds, UMMS cannot guarantee the availability of funds for assistance.
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE CARES HEERF GRANT
Applications are available through the financial aid portal Net Partner. Students will be required to include a statement explaining:
- the emergency and how the current situation is affecting the student’s studies,
- what the requested funds will be used for, and
- an itemized list of each cost, with supporting documentation for each item.
At the University of Massachusetts Medical School, there are 1109 students potentially eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant.
UMMS is using the following methods to determine the need for emergency grants:
$65,000 to 65 students at $1000 each has been distributed as of 5/12/2020 to rising 3rd year medical students who have received institutional funding or used federal loans to pay living expenses in the past. These students had their semester start date delayed by one month. This month is therefore now excluded from their cost of attendance and students have an unexpected month of rent and food expenses.
Additional Students may submit an application detailing their emergency expenses due to the disruption of on-campus operations or healthcare expenses directly related to the coronavirus using the link above. Students will provide detailed descriptions and documentation of expenses to be reimbursed through the fund. Such expenses as the purchase of technology for on-line learning, additional rent expenses, healthcare costs for coronavirus, or other related expenses outlined and detailed by the student.
Applications are being distributed and will be available throughout the 20-21 academic year until funds are exhausted.
As of 8/13/2020 all $156,000 of funding was distributed to students meeting the above eligibility requirements.
Institutional Portion as of 10/30/2020:
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3), if applicable
Institution Name: _University of Massachusetts Medical School_____________ Date of Report: ____10/30/2020___ Covering Quarter Ending: ___9/30/2020__
Total Amount of Funds Awarded: Section (a)(1) Institutional Portion: __$155,066__ Section (a)(2): __________Section (a)(3): ____189,868 Final Report? ☐
|
Category |
Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollars |
Amount in (a)(2) dollars, if applicable |
Amount in (a)(3) dollars, if applicable |
Explanatory Notes |
|
Providing additional emergency financial aid grants to students.[1] |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Providing reimbursements for tuition, housing, room and board, or other fee refunds. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Providing tuition discounts. |
|
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. |
387 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Providing or subsidizing the costs of high-speed internet to students or faculty to transition to an online environment. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Subsidizing off-campus housing costs due to dormitory closures or decisions to limit housing to one student per room; subsidizing housing costs to reduce housing density; paying for hotels or other off-campus housing for students who need to be isolated; paying travel expenses for students who need to leave campus early due to coronavirus infections or campus interruptions. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Subsidizing food service to reduce density in eating facilities, to provide pre-packaged meals, or to add hours to food service operations to accommodate social distancing. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Costs related to operating additional class sections to enable social distancing, such as those for hiring more instructors and increasing campus hours of operations. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Campus safety and operations.[2] |
4103 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Purchasing, leasing, or renting additional instructional equipment and supplies (such as laboratory equipment or computers) to reduce the number of students sharing equipment or supplies during a single class period and to provide time for disinfection between uses. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Replacing lost revenue due to reduced enrollment. |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Replacing lost revenue from non-tuition sources (i.e., cancelled ancillary events; disruption of food service, dorms, childcare or other facilities; cancellation of use of campus venues by other organizations, lost parking revenue, etc.).[3] |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
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. |
41432 |
0 |
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. |
18988 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Other Uses of (a)(1) Institutional Portion funds.[4] |
0 |
|
|
|
|
Other Uses of (a)(2) or (a)(3) funds, if applicable.[5] |
3648 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Quarterly Expenditures for each Program |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Total of Quarterly Expenditures |
68588 |
|||
Institutional Portion of CARES/HEERF 1as of 3/31/2021:
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for HEERF I, II, and III (a)(1) Institutional Portion, (a)(2), and (a)(3), if applicable
Institution Name: ___Univesity of Massachusetts Medical School__________ Date of Report: __6/30/2021___ Covering Quarter Ending: 3/31/2021______
PR/Award Number(s): P425F203759__ _ P425f203579-20A: _________ P425L _________ P425M: _________ P425N:200456 ________
Total Amount of Funds Awarded: Section (a)(1) Institutional Portion: __435,006___ Section (a)(2): ______ Section (a)(3): _189,868___ Final Report? ☐
|
Category |
Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollars |
Amount in (a)(2) dollars, if applicable |
Amount in (a)(3) dollars, if applicable |
Explanatory Notes |
|
Providing additional emergency financial aid grants to students.[1] |
|
|
|
|
|
Providing reimbursements for tuition, housing, room and board, or other fee refunds. |
26,783 |
|
|
|
|
Providing tuition discounts. |
|
|
|
|
|
Covering the cost of providing additional technology hardware to students, such as laptops or tablets, or covering the added cost of technology fees. |
|
|
|
|
|
Providing or subsidizing the costs of high-speed internet to students or faculty to transition to an online environment. |
|
|
|
|
|
Subsidizing off-campus housing costs due to dormitory closures or decisions to limit housing to one student per room; subsidizing housing costs to reduce housing density; paying for hotels or other off-campus housing for students who need to be isolated; paying travel expenses for students who need to leave campus early due to coronavirus infections or campus interruptions. |
27,774 |
|
36684 |
|
|
Subsidizing food service to reduce density in eating facilities, to provide pre-packaged meals, or to add hours to food service operations to accommodate social distancing. |
|
|
|
|
|
Costs related to operating additional class sections to enable social distancing, such as those for hiring more instructors and increasing campus hours of operations. |
|
|
|
|
|
Campus safety and operations.[2] |
|
|
|
|
|
Purchasing, leasing, or renting additional instructional equipment and supplies (such as laboratory equipment or computers) to reduce the number of students sharing equipment or supplies during a class period and to provide time for disinfection between uses. |
|
|
|
|
|
Replacing lost revenue from academic sources.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Replacing lost revenue from auxiliary services sources (i.e., cancelled ancillary events; disruption of food service, dorms, childcare, or other facilities; cancellation of use of campus venues by other organizations, lost parking revenue, etc.).[3] |
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
Other Uses of (a)(1) Institutional Portion funds.[4]
|
311891 |
|
|
Costs of Covid Testing for students |
|
Other Uses of (a)(2) or (a)(3) funds, if applicable.[5]
|
|
|
94,188 |
Costs of Covid testing for students |
|
Quarterly Expenditures for Each Program |
|
|
|
|
|
Total of Quarterly Expenditures |
|
|||
[1] To support expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus consistent with applicable law. This includes eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance under CARES Act Section 18004(c), or any component of a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care, per Section 314(c) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and Section 2003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).
[2] Including costs or expenses related to the disinfecting and cleaning of dorms and other campus facilities, purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE), purchases of cleaning supplies, adding personnel to increase the frequency of cleaning, the reconfiguration of facilities to promote social distancing, etc.
[3] Please see the Department’s HEERF Lost Revenue FAQs (March 19, 2021) for more information regarding what may be appropriately included in an estimate of lost revenue.
[4] Please post additional documentation as appropriate and briefly explain in the “Explanatory Notes” section. Please note that funds for (a)(1) Institutional Portion may be used to defray expenses associated with coronavirus (including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll).
[5] Please post additional documentation as appropriate and briefly explain in the “Explanatory Notes” section. Please note that funds for (a)(2) and (a)(3) may be used to defray expenses associated with coronavirus (including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll).
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting for HEERF I, II, and III (a)(1) Institutional Portion, (a)(2), and (a)(3), if applicable
Institution Name: ___Univesity of Massachusetts Medical School__________ Date of Report: __7/2/2021___ Covering Quarter Ending: 6/30/2021______
PR/Award Number(s): P425F203759__ _ P425F203579-20A: _________ P425F203579-20B _________ P425M: _________ P425N:200456 ________
Total Amount of Funds Awarded: Section (a)(1) Institutional Portion: __435,006___ Section (a)(2): 398,014___ Section (a)(3): _189,868___ Final Report? ☐
|
Category |
Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollars |
Amount in (a)(2) dollars, if applicable |
Amount in (a)(3) dollars, if applicable |
Explanatory Notes |
|
Providing additional emergency financial aid grants to students.[1] |
|
|
|
|
|
Providing reimbursements for tuition, housing, room and board, or other fee refunds. |
|
|
|
|
|
Providing tuition discounts. |
|
|
|
|
|
Covering the cost of providing additional technology hardware to students, such as laptops or tablets, or covering the added cost of technology fees. |
|
|
|
|
|
Providing or subsidizing the costs of high-speed internet to students or faculty to transition to an online environment. |
|
|
|
|
|
Subsidizing off-campus housing costs due to dormitory closures or decisions to limit housing to one student per room; subsidizing housing costs to reduce housing density; paying for hotels or other off-campus housing for students who need to be isolated; paying travel expenses for students who need to leave campus early due to coronavirus infections or campus interruptions. |
|
|
|
|
|
Subsidizing food service to reduce density in eating facilities, to provide pre-packaged meals, or to add hours to food service operations to accommodate social distancing. |
|
|
|
|
|
Costs related to operating additional class sections to enable social distancing, such as those for hiring more instructors and increasing campus hours of operations. |
|
|
|
|
|
Campus safety and operations.[2] |
|
|
|
|
|
Purchasing, leasing, or renting additional instructional equipment and supplies (such as laboratory equipment or computers) to reduce the number of students sharing equipment or supplies during a class period and to provide time for disinfection between uses. |
|
|
|
|
|
Replacing lost revenue from academic sources.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Replacing lost revenue from auxiliary services sources (i.e., cancelled ancillary events; disruption of food service, dorms, childcare, or other facilities; cancellation of use of campus venues by other organizations, lost parking revenue, etc.).[3] |
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
Other Uses of (a)(1) Institutional Portion funds.[4]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other Uses of (a)(2) or (a)(3) funds, if applicable.[5]
|
|
|
20,313 |
Costs of Covid Testing for Students |
|
Quarterly Expenditures for Each Program |
|
|
|
|
|
Total of Quarterly Expenditures |
|
|||
[1] To support expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus consistent with applicable law. This includes eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance under CARES Act Section 18004(c), or any component of a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or child care, per Section 314(c) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), and Section 2003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).
[2] Including costs or expenses related to the disinfecting and cleaning of dorms and other campus facilities, purchases of personal protective equipment (PPE), purchases of cleaning supplies, adding personnel to increase the frequency of cleaning, the reconfiguration of facilities to promote social distancing, etc.
[3] Please see the Department’s HEERF Lost Revenue FAQs (March 19, 2021) for more information regarding what may be appropriately included in an estimate of lost revenue.
[4] Please post additional documentation as appropriate and briefly explain in the “Explanatory Notes” section. Please note that funds for (a)(1) Institutional Portion may be used to defray expenses associated with coronavirus (including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll).
[5] Please post additional documentation as appropriate and briefly explain in the “Explanatory Notes” section. Please note that funds for (a)(2) and (a)(3) may be used to defray expenses associated with coronavirus (including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll).
Student spending:
as of 6/30/2021 $310,132 has been distributed to students as follows:
$4410 to 1 student for tuition reimbursement
$240,722 to 124 students for reimbursement of costs for remote learning and other costs due to Covid-19 related expenses
$65,000 to 65 students for housing costs associated with a one-month delay to the start of classes.
Quarter ending 9/30/2021 had $0 spending for student or instititutional portion
Quarter ending 12/31/2021 had $0 spending for institutional portion.
Quarter ending 12/31/2021 student spending:
$472,424 was distributed to 245 students in block grants to students determined to have the highest need/outstanding loan debt
$257,233 was disbursed directly to 89 students who submitted an application for Covid related educational expenses.
$3,767 was applied to 1 student's tuition that had Covid related educational needs.