CARES ACT FINAL REPORT

The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) provides funding to institutions for emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. Below is Coastal Carolina University’s Final report as of Oct. 15, 2020.

With regard to the CARES Act Section 18004(a) (1), Coastal Carolina University (CCU) acknowledges and assures that:

CCU was allocated $10,054,347 under the CARES Act for emergency relief of students and the institution.
A signed Certification and Agreement was returned to the Department of Education on April 13, 2020 with the intention of using $5,027,174 of funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
A signed Certification and Agreement was returned to the Department of Education on April 21, 2020 with the intention of using $5,027,173 to cover institutional costs related to the disruption of campus operations.
$5,027,174 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants have been provided to students as of June 29, 2020. At this time, all funds provided for emergency financial aid grants to students have been exhausted.
The estimated number of 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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 6,868.
As of June 29, 2020, 6,868 students have received funding.
Strategic members of CCU’s staff developed the methods used to determine which students will receive the emergency funding, as well as how much they receive.

Method:

Qualified students that were enrolled as of the last day of classes for Spring 2020 and incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 were identified and awarded emergency grants on May 7^th, 2020. 6,751 eligible students were awarded at this time.
$497,274 was reserved for eligible students to apply for additional funding based on higher incurred expenses during two application cycles (May 8^th, 2020 – May 29^th, 2020 and June 15^th, 2020 - June 19^th, 2020). The applications were reviewed by the University’s Benevolence fund committee and eligible students were awarded based on need, exhausting all CARES Act HEERF funding.
Students who are not eligible for Title IV funding were not eligible for funding from the CARES Act.
Students who were enrolled only in online classes prior to March 13 were not eligible for funding.
Students with the greatest documented need using the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be prioritized. Individual disbursement amounts varied by student dependent on levels of financial need, as defined by Title IV regulations.
CCU Financial Aid & Scholarships verified eligibility in accordance with the CARES Act.

Amount: Initial block grant awards to each student were determined by the chart below. Additional funding from the approved applications varied by student and was determined by the benevolence committee based on expressed need due to COVID-related expenses.

Student Category	Expected Family Contribution	Amount Per Student
Undergraduate Pell Eligible	$0 to $5,576	$900.00
Undergraduate Not Pell Eligible	Above $5,576	$500.00
Graduate Students	N/A	$500.00

8. CCU Financial Aid and Scholarships posted instructions and guidance for students regarding CARES Act funding on its website. Eligible students were emailed in May 2020 regarding eligibility status, encouragement to setup direct deposit for electronic receipt of these funds, and the application process to request additional funding. Students also received communication in June 2020 regarding application decisions and award disbursements.

CARES Act FAQs

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a Federal Law enacted by Congress, included funds to assist qualified students in need during the pandemic. Students enrolled at CCU for Spring 2020 who met the qualifications below received an email in their CCU email inbox confirming eligibility for funds on May 8, 2020. For more information about the award, please call (843) 349-2313 or email finaid@coastal.edu to speak with a financial aid counselor.

Q: Who qualified for the CARES Act Funds?

A: To be eligible for the CARES Act grant funding you must have met all the following criteria:

You must have been enrolled at CCU as of the last day of class for Spring 2020.
You must have incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 crisis.
You must have been eligible for Federal Title IV funding by meeting all of the following requirements:

Not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans.
Not be in default on a Title IV loan.
File "as part of the original financial aid application process" a certification that includes

A statement of educational purpose.
Student's SSN.

Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen.
Have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges.
Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits.
Have repaid Title IV loan amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits if obtained inadvertently.
Have Selective Service registration verified.
Have Social Security Number verified.
Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations.
Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards as defined by the University and federal financial aid regulations.

Students who were not eligible for the CARES Act grant included: students without a FAFSA or with a rejected FAFSA; students who did not completed certain verification requirements; international, dual enrollment, transient, non-degree seeking, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students; and students who were totally enrolled in all online courses or an online program on or before March 13, 2020.

Q: How and when did I receive the disbursement?

A: Students who had direct deposit established with the University will receive their emergency funds by direct deposit. A check was mailed to the address on record for students who had not set up direct deposit. Eligible students should have received an email confirming their disbursement by Friday, May 15, 2020.

Q: How do I know how much I was awarded?

A: You were able to identify your disbursement amount on “Student Finance” under the Student Accounts section. Individual disbursement amounts varied by student dependent on levels of financial need, as defined by Title IV regulations.

Q: How can I use the funds disbursed to me?

A: According to the Federal Department of Education, funds could be used for expenses related to the cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

Q: Was my disbursement reduced by any outstanding balances that I owed?

A: No. If you met the eligibility requirements, your disbursement amount was NOT reduced by any outstanding balances that you owed.

Q: Will I be required to pay this money back?

A: No. This is a grant and you will not be required to pay it back.

Q: What if the amount I was awarded is not enough to cover my COVID-19 related expenses?

A: Students who met all eligibility requirements that needed additional assistance for their COVID-19 related expenses were given an opportunity to apply for additional funds through the Dean of Student’s Office. All funds are currently exhausted, but students are encouraged to reach out to Financial Aid and Scholarships to explore other opportunities for funding.

Q: What if I was not eligible for CARES funding but still have expenses?

A: Students may apply for funding from CCU’s Student Benevolence funds. Awards are dependent on eligibility and available funds. Applications can be accessed https://www.coastal.edu/deanofstudents/studentbenevolencefunds/.

Q: Who do I call if I have questions?

A: For questions regarding eligibility, please contact a financial aid counselor at (843) 349-2313 or finaid@coastal.edu. For questions regarding disbursement, please contact student accounts at (843) 349-2159 or studentaccounts@coastal.edu.