Eligible Bradley University students will be receiving additional funds from the United States Department of Education to help them continue their education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Bradley’s distribution explanation page, students will receive a payment between a minimum of $320 and a maximum of $1,524.
Also, on the page, concerning the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), the CARES Act team said that it will include a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II) that provides an additional $22.7 billion to higher education institutions.
According to Dennis Koch, a Bradley University CARES Act Team member and associate controller at the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the CARES Act Team administers the HEERF website.
“The information on this website is monitored by the U.S. Department of Communication for reporting and compliance purposes,” Koch said. “Please note there is not a specific Bradley University department that is responsible for the administration of the HEERF program at Bradley University.”
The CRRSAA requires that an institution receiving funding under section 314(a)(1) provide the “same amount” in financial aid grants to students from the new CRRSAA funds that it was required or would have been required to provide under its original CARES Act Student Aid Portion award. Bradley University received $2,138,007 in funding for the HEERF I student share.
Just like the CARES Act, a student will automatically have the financial aid grant issued in a check and mailed to their home address on record unless the student elects to apply the financial aid grant to any component of their cost of attendance at Bradley. However, if the student does the latter, they will see the grant amount directly added to their student account electronically.
Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional needs, such as students who receive Pell Grants, in awarding financial aid grants to students.
“In addition, the CRRSAA explicitly provides that financial aid grants to students may be provided to students exclusively enrolled in distance education, non-degree seeking, non-credit, dual enrollment, and continuing education students,” the HEERF overview website said.
The distribution for eligible students is going to be based on a scale of expected family contribution (EFC) that measures the student’s family’s financial strength generated by the information provided on the 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The EFC scale will range from 0 to 5,711. The 5,711 EFC represents the maximum EFC threshold for Pell Grant eligibility.
If students have any questions regarding the HEERF II funds, they should reach out via email to the CARES Act Team at cares@bradley.edu.
