Reporting Data for Student portion as of March 31, 2022
Quarterly Reporting Data: Student Portion
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I), under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (signed into law on 3/27/20), HEERF II under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSAA) Act (signed into law on 12/27/20), and HEERF III under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) (signed into law on 3/11/21).
1&2. Acknowledgement that the institution signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than the required amount of the funds received under the CARES Act, CRRSAA Act, and American Rescue Plan to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. Total amount of funds that the institution has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
Upon signing and returning the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Certification and Agreement document for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, Lewis and Clark Community College initially received $1,031,190 in Higher Education Emergency Relief funds (HEERF) specifically to distribute to students whose education was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon receipt of HEERF funds through the CRRSAA Act and American Rescue Plan, an additional $5,274,149 in HEERF funds was received specifically to distribute to Lewis & Clark students with the provision of prioritizing students with exceptional need for a total of $6,305,339 to disburse in student grants.
3. Total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students.
As of March 31, 2022, Lewis and Clark has distributed $5,180,632 in funds to students who met the HEERF eligibility guidelines as outlined below.
4. Estimated total number of students at the institution that are eligible to receive HEERF grants.
Lewis and Clark estimated that between 2500-3500 students could be eligible for HEERF funds across all HEERF I, HEERF II, and HEERF III awards.
5. Total number of students who have received HEERF grants.
To date, Lewis and Clark has distributed HEERF funds to 2693 students (unduplicated count).
6. Method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive.
HEERF I
As a requirement of receiving a HEERF I grant, the college created a plan to distribute the funds to all eligible students under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 who were enrolled and actively attending in Spring 2020 as of the March 13, 2020 State of Illinois “Stay at Home” order. All Lewis and Clark students who were actively attending classes on or after March 13, 2020 were impacted by COVID-19. Not only did students lose access to technology and other student services on campus as a result of continuing their courses remotely, many needed laptops, internet access; many students became unemployed, many had to find alternate forms of childcare, many needed food and basic necessities, and unfortunately some contracted the virus or had a family member who contracted the virus. Lewis and Clark used a comprehensive approach to distribute CARES Act funds to eligible students.
Distribution Plan (HEERF I)
A team at the college, including the Interim President, Assistant Interim President, Vice President of Finance and the Director of Financial Aid, worked to determine the total number of eligible students. The College distributed a set amount to all students based on their full time or part-time status as it related to face-to-face credit hours. Full-time students received an amount equal to 2/3 and part-time students received an amount equal to 1/3 using the total allocation and estimated eligible student count. No application was required.
7. Instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
Lewis and Clark (L&C) communicated, via email and an internal media announcement, to L&C students CARES Act funds availability, provided eligibility criteria, explained what the Financial Aid office needed to determine eligibility, and notified recipients of actual disbursement amounts prior to distribution through student L&C email addresses.
Requirements of Eligibility
According to the United States Department of Education, students receiving HEERF I funds must have met the basic Federal Student Aid/Title IV eligibility requirements as well as:
- Students must have completed a 2019-2020 FAFSA.
- Students must have been enrolled in at least one face-to-face course during Spring 2020.
HEERF II
In Spring 2021 and Summer 2021, with the removal of the Title IV eligibility and distance education provisions but the addition of prioritizing HEERF II funds for students with exceptional need, the Institution used the Expected Family Contribution Number, as determined by family and income information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, of students with need based Federal Pell grant eligibility. Students did not have to actually receive the Pell Grant to receive HEERF II grants. After the remaining HEERF II funds were awarded, a portion of HEERF III funds was used to award additional Summer 2021 grants. Grants were awarded for any component of a student's Cost of Attendance, and/or including but not limited to emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as: tuition; food; housing; health care (including mental); and child care. No application was required.
The following is a synopsis of the EFC ranges and emergency grant amounts determined for each range. Award notifications including HEERF grant amounts were emailed to students prior to disbursements.
| EFC | HEERF II Grant Amount |
| 0-1904: | $1353 |
| 1905-3809: | $902 |
| 3810-5711: | $451 |
HEERF III
In 2021-2022, while continuing to prioritize students with exceptional need (first selection group), the Institution used the Expected Family Contribution Number, as determined by family and income information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, of students with need based Federal Pell grant eligibility. Students did not have to actually receive the Pell Grant to receive HEERF III grants. Grants were awarded for any component of a student's Cost of Attendance, and/or including but not limited to emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as: tuition; food; housing; health care (including mental); and child care. No application was required for the first selection group.
The following is a synopsis of the EFC ranges and emergency grant amounts determined for each range. Award notifications including HEERF grant amounts were emailed to students prior to disbursements.
| EFC | HEERF III Grant Amount |
| 0-1400: | $2921 |
| 1401-2900: | $2173 |
| 2901-4400: | $1423 |
| 4401-5846: | $674 |
An application process was developed in an effort to ensure Lewis & Clark students who were not part of the first selection group had access to emergency grant funds. Eligible student groups include citizens, permanent residents, international students, refugees, asylum seekers, DACA recipients, other DREAMers, and similar undocumented students. It was estimated that applicants will receive a set disbursement amount of $674.
After further review of remaining HEERF funds in Spring 2022, a set HEERF award amount of $1023 was established for students who were not part of the prioritized first selection group. This group of students, referred to as the second selection group, were able to apply for HEERF funds via an online application. Links to the online HEERF application is currently available on the Institution’s HEERF and Financial aid web pages. As of the most recent quarter, an additional 311 students have been awarded HEERF grants totaling $545,697.