HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND (HEERF) PUBLIC REPORTING

Dyersburg State Community College disbursed emergency student assistance provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act beginning the week of May 19, 2020. The college began disbursing emergency student assistance provided by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) the week of April 7, 2021. The college disbursed emergency student assistance provided by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) beginning the week of August 20, 2021.

HEERF I—CARES

The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEERF) funding to higher education institutions is meant to assist students with unmet expenses as a result of COVID-19. Funds must be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as:

course materials
technology
food
housing
health care
childcare
or other cost of attendance related item

Students exclusively enrolled in online courses prior to March 13, 2020 were not originally eligible. In accordance with the HEERF Certification and Agreement signed and returned to the USDOE, the institution will use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Payment Methodology

Our institution determined funds would be allocated to the largest number of students possible due to impacts of COVID-19 related events. Following Secretary of Education DeVos’s guidance, Pell eligible students received priority funding. However, based on our institution’s determined criteria, certain non-Pell eligible students were also considered eligible for funding.

Criteria for eligibility include:

An individual must have been a student as of March 13, 2020
Students must have been enrolled in at least one on-ground course as of March 13, 2020
Students must have been Title IV eligible unless during a period of time in which USDOE guidance did not require Title IV eligibility for awarding.
Per USDOE guidance, eligible students must meet citizenship requirements.
Students cannot be enrolled as dual enrollment, non-degree seeking, or transient.

Disbursement Process

Any disbursed emergency grant funds will be released to students by either refund check or direct deposit, depending on if the student has an e-refund profile set up with the college. A payment is not necessarily a reflection of a student’s current student account balance, as these funds are disbursed directly to a student no matter if a current balance is owed to the institution.

Students determined eligible for HEERF payments will receive a confirmation email from the college.

Email Communications

View email communication sent to students

HEERF PAYMENT ALLOCATION INFORMATION

Number of eligible students who may qualify for HEERF payments: 1,372
Total amount of HEERF aid available for payments to students: $747,611
Total amount of HEERF aid paid to eligible students: $747,611
Total number of eligible students paid: 1,372

HEERF II—CRRSAA

Funds awarded under section 314(a) of the CRRSAA must be reserved to provide students with financial aid grants, which may be used for any component of the 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 childcare.

If an institution obtains a student’s written (or electronic), affirmative consent, an institution is permitted to apply these grants directly to the student’s institutional account; however, students must be informed that they retain the option to receive a direct disbursement of the financial aid grant and that an institution may not require that the grant be applied to the student’s account.

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 Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants to be identified as having exceptional need. In addition, the CRRSAA explicitly provides that financial aid grants to students may be provided to students exclusively enrolled in distance education.

Payment Methodology

Our institution determined funds would be allocated to the largest number of students possible due to impacts of COVID-19 related events. Following USDOE’s guidance, Pell eligible students received priority funding. However, based on our institution’s determined criteria, certain non-Pell eligible students were also considered eligible for funding.

Criteria for eligibility include:

An individual must have been enrolled at some point during the Spring 2021 semester.
Students did not have to be title IV eligible. However, per USDOE guidance, eligible students had to meet citizenship requirements.
Students cannot be enrolled as dual enrollment, non-degree seeking, or transient.

Disbursement Process

Students determined eligible for HEERF payments will receive a confirmation email

Email Communications

View email communication sent to students

HEERF PAYMENT ALLOCATION INFORMATION

Number of eligible students who may qualify for HEERF payments: 1,637
Total amount of HEERF aid available for payments to students: $747,611
Total amount of HEERF aid paid to eligible students: $747,611
Total number of eligible students paid: 1,637

HEERF II – SAIHE

DSCC was awarded funds under section 314(a)(3) of the CRRSAA Supplemental Appropriation Act, 2021 under Absolute Priority 6. Funds must be used to provide students with financial aid grants, which may be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency cost that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, healthcare (including mental healthcare) or childcare.

CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants, in awarding financial aid grants to students, who are eligible for Pell grants to be identified as having exceptional need. In addition, the CRRSAA explicitly provides that financial aid grants to students may be provided to students exclusively enrolled in distance education.

Payment Methodology

Students enrolled in fall 2021 semester were notified via text and email to apply for the grant on the college website. The applications were reviewed individually and amounts were determined based on the requested amount and the grant funds available. Based on the applications that were submitted, the maximum award was $432.

Disbursement Process

Emergency grant funds were released to students by either refund check or direct deposit, depending on if the student has an e-refund profile set up with the college. Students were provided the option to authorize payment towards current account balances, but this was not required for eligibility.

If a student authorized the institution to apply funds to their outstanding balance first, any excess funds were awarded directly to the student. Students who did not authorize the institution to apply funds to their outstanding balances received their emergency grant through direct deposit or check depending on the refund method setup with the institution. Students who applied for emergency funds received notification of the award.

View email communications sent to students

HEERF PAYMENT ALLOCATION INFORMATION

Number of eligible students who may qualify for HEERF payments: 1,939
Total amount of HEERF aid available for payments to students: $906,084
Total amount of HEERF aid paid to eligible students: $450,000
Total number of eligible students paid: 1,199

HEERF III–AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN (ARP)

Student HEERF funds awarded under the ARP must be reserved to provide students with financial aid grants, which may be used for any component of the 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 childcare.

The ARP 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 Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants to be identified as having exceptional need.

Payment Methodology

Criteria for eligibility include:

An individual must have been enrolled on or after March 13, 2020.
Students did not have to be title IV eligible.
Students complete an application requesting assistance and confirming they have a financial need due to COVID-19. They may also authorize payment towards current account balances, but this is not required for eligibility.

Disbursement Process

Any disbursed emergency grant funds will be released to students by either refund check or direct deposit, depending on if the student has an e-refund profile set up with the college. Students were provided the option to authorize payment towards current account balances, but this was not required for eligibility.

A payment is not necessarily a reflection of a student’s current student account balance, as these funds are disbursed directly to a student no matter if a current balance is owed to the institution, unless the student provided authorization for application to account balances.

Students determined eligible for HEERF payments will receive a confirmation email from the college.

View email communications sent to students

HEERF III PAYMENT ALLOCATION INFORMATION

Number of eligible students who may qualify for HEERF payments: 3,642
Total amount of HEERF aid available for payments to students: $3,026,452
Total amount of HEERF aid paid to eligible students: $3,026,452
Total number of eligible students paid: 3,642

Contact and Questions

Student questions can be submitted by emailing cares@dscc.edu.

Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting

The latest quarterly budget and expenditure report can be accessed below:

10/07/2020 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

10/30/2020 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

01/08/2021 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

04/06/2021 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

05/25/2021 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

06/30/2021 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

10/01/2021 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

12/31/2021 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

04/08/2022 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

07/11/2022 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

10/10/2022 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

01/10/2023 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

04/10/2023 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

07/10/2023 – HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Public Posting

Date Institution Submitted HEERF Certification and Agreement to USDOE:	4/14/2020
Date Information Originally Published Online:	5/20/2020
Website Updated (1^st 45-day requirement):	6/16/2020
Website Updated (2^nd 45-day requirement):	7/6/2020
Website Updated (3^rd 45-day requirement):	8/17/2020
Website Updated (4^th 45-day requirement):	9/30/2020
Website Updated (5^th 45-day requirement):	1/4/2021
Website Updated (6^th 45-day requirement):	4/6/2021
Website Updated (7^th 45-day requirement):	5/25/2021