Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act
December 2020
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law on December 27, 2020. This new law gives the U.S. Department of Education funding to distribute to institutions of higher education in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus through the HEERF II. The CRRSAA requires that an institution receiving funding provide the same amount in financial aid grants to students from the new CRRSA Act funds that it was required to provide under its original CARES Act (HEERF I) Student Aid portion award.
Students cannot apply for assistance directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Institutions have the responsibility of determining how grants will be distributed to students, how the amount of each student grant is calculated, and the development of any instructions or directions that are provided to students about the grant.
HEERF II Emergency Grant Requirements
Institutions must make financial aid grants to students, which can 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 HEERF II (CRRSA Act) grant requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional financial need, such as students who receive Pell Grants. However, students do not need to be only Pell grant recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants.
The University of Rhode Island acknowledges that the institution signed and returned to the Department of Education the certification and agreement for HEERF II Funds under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA). The University has used, or intends to use, the mandated amount equal to the same dollar amount on student grants for HEERF II (CRRSA) student funding as they were required to spend under the HEERF I (CARES Act) funding to provide emergency student grants.
Eligibility
All currently (Spring 2021) matriculated and enrolled University of Rhode Island undergraduate and graduate students who have filed a FAFSA for 2020-21 and meet the citizenship criteria to receive federal student aid, may be considered for emergency grants funded through HEERF II (CRRSA).
At this time, the U.S. Department of Education reiterates its stance that DACA, undocumented, and international students are not eligible for the HEERF II (CRRSA) federal emergency grant aid.
Distribution of Funds
The University of Rhode Island has received and will distribute $5,619,342 in emergency grants for eligible students experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These are one-time grants from the federal government and do not require any repayment. The HEERF II (CRRSA Act) emergency grant provides temporary, short-term, emergency financial assistance to eligible students who are experiencing an unforeseen hardship that could adversely affect their educational success.
Priority will be given to students with exceptional financial need, determined by the 2020-2021 official Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated from the FAFSA application.
The University of Rhode Island will begin distributing grants to eligible students April 27, 2021. Funds will be distributed through a block grant, similar to the HEERF I (Cares Act) distribution process at URI. Priority for the block grant will be given to undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional need as determined by the 2020-2021 official Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated from the FAFSA application. The amount of these grants will be $1000 for full time (12+ credits) students and $500 for part-time (6-11 credits) students, who have an EFC less than or equal to $18,000. Please note that students who received a HEERF 1 (Cares Act) grant during the 2020-21 academic year will not receive a second award this same academic year in the block grant.
The University recognizes that additional students may have cost of attendance or coronavirus related expenses who were not awarded through the block grant process. If a student does not receive funds through a block grant, they may file an application.
HEERF II grant funds will not be applied to a student’s URI billing account even if there is an outstanding balance. These funds will be refunded via the refund preference that the student has chosen.
Update as of 4-30-21
Total funds disbursed: $5,553,500 to 5881 students.
Update as of 5-10-21
URI has distributed $5,619,324 to 5947 students.
Update 11-16-21
The total URI student allocation for the HEERF II/CRRSA grants has been disbursed. URI has distributed $5,619,342 to 5947 students.