CRRSSA Required Website Posting Information – Update #4
University of Maine and University of Maine at Machias
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund for Student Aid
Report #4
Sponsor: U.S. Department of Education
Award Number: P425E203082
Award Amount: $3,948,625
Report Period: January 14, 2021 — December 31, 2021
Report Date: January 5, 2022
Source and Purpose of Funds
The University of Maine (“UMaine”) and the University of Maine at Machias (“UMM”) received the above award from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) passed by Congress on January 14, 2021 to provide emergency financial aid grants to eligible.
On April 22, 2020, UMaine submitted the required Certification and Agreement (please link signed C&A) to the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) committing to use these funds to provide emergency aid directly to our eligible students.
Eligibility Requirements
Consistent with the guidance from the U.S. DOE, eligible students include all students who were enrolled at UMaine on March 24, 2021 with the following exceptions:
- Non-degree students
- Students with no enrollment for Spring 2021 (including Spring 2021 Semester withdrawals) at the time of the first disbursement of funds
- Employees receiving UMS Employee Tuition benefits
- Early College students
- International/DACA Students
Distribution Plan
UMaine and UMM will automatically distribute approximately 96 percent of these funds to all eligible students. Award amounts will be tiered as follows based on: the number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled as of March 24, 2021, academic career, and in accordance with DOE guidelines, financial need.
Undergraduate Base Amounts
.1 – 5.99 Credit Hours: $125
6 – 11.99 Credit Hours: $225
12+ Credit Hours: $325
Graduate Base Amounts
.1 – 2.99 Credit Hours: $200
3 – 5.99 Credit Hours: $225
6+ Credit Hours: $325
Additional Amounts
High Need (EFC <= 5711): +$200
Medium (Between EFC > 5711 and EFC < COA): +$100
Low (No FAFSA, or EFC > COA): +$0
The remaining 4 percent (approximately) of the CRRSAA student aid is being made available by application to eligible students who self-identify with additional need as a result of being impacted by COVID-19. The application was made available to the following population to notify them that applications were open for remaining emergency funds:
- All eligible students as of April 20, 2021, for both Orono and Machias, based on our initial criteria in our block grant round of payments. Some students were no longer eligible as a result of withdrawing.
- From the eligible students, those who were potentially eligible for Federal Pell Grant were identified.
The application was made available to students on April 20, 2021. Students had a deadline of April 28, 2021 at 4:30pm to submit an application.
Applications for the additional CARES Act amounts were reviewed by a campus committee and awarding parameters were created for approval and distribution of these funds.
Communications were sent to students who were approved or denied funding on May 3, 2021 and those eligible began receiving payments for their approved amounts on May 4, 2021.
In some cases, emergency funds may have been supplemented with a portion of CCRRSAA dollars intended for institutional relief.
In accordance with the federal guidelines for the CRRSAA allocations, every eligible student was able to choose the method of disbursement: either electronically consenting to have the funds applied directly to their student bill or to receive a direct payment of these funds.
All distributions to student will be made via direct deposit or check. Because the IRS considers the CRRSAA student funds as a “qualified disaster relief payment,” they are not considered taxable income.
Remaining Funds from CARES Act Funding
UMaine carried forward the remaining unspent portion of the initial CARES Act funding ($210,650, of which $210,650 was spent) to the total allocation of HEERF II funding for the second round of direct payments to students. UMM carried forward the remaining unspent portion of the initial CARES Act/SIP ($13,347, of which $12,747 was spent) funding to the total allocation of HEERF II funding for the second round of direct payments to students.
Disbursements To-Date
| Distribution Type
|
Number of Eligible Students | Number of Students To Whom Aid Has Been Distributed | Total Amount of Aid That Has Been Distributed | Amount of Funds Remaining for Disbursement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orono Automatic | 9,720 | 9,248 | $3,575,725 | $31,112 |
| Orono Application | 2,081 | 552 | $195,010 | $0 |
| Machias Automatic | 328 | 328 | $137,725 | $775 |
| Machias Application | 178 | 63** | $8,278 | $0 |
| Total | $3,916,738 | $31,887 | ||
** Student counts reflect the utilization of both the HEERF II funds and the original CARES SIP award.
Communications to Students
Below are all communications from the University of Maine System or UMaine to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants provided through the ARP