CARES Act

The CARES Act, through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, provided funding for colleges and universities as well as for students. Clarks Summit University has signed and returned the Recipient’s Funding Certification and Agreement for both the student and institutional portion of the grant and was subsequently awarded $596,633.

Information about Clarks Summit University’s use of institutional funds can be found for each quarter (Q3) (Q4).

Clarks Summit University intends to use 50% ($298,317) of this funding to provide Direct Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

To be eligible, a student must have been eligible to participate in programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Criteria includes, but is not limited to: U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen, a valid Social Security number, registration with the Selective Service (if the student is male); and a high school diploma, GED or completion of high school in approved homeschool setting. Students who were enrolled exclusively online as of March 13, 2020 were not eligible for an Emergency Financial Aid Grant.

Clarks Summit University has issued Emergency Cash grants on three occasions.

• Initial grants were provided to eligible students who had completed a FAFSA on May 5, 2020. Full time residential students were awarded $1,000 each, full time commuter students were awarded $500 each, and part time students were provided $41.67 per credit based on SP20 enrollment.
• A second round of grants was issued after Financial Aid contacted students who had not completed a FAFSA and verified that they were otherwise eligible for the grant.
  Students who had an exceptional financial need were provided the opportunity to complete a short application describing their financial need. Clarks Summit University issued a third round of additional Emergency Cash grants to these students on August 12, 2020.
• Final grants from the initial award were issued between December 8 & December 15, 2020 to eligible students who completed a short application describing their remaining unmet need.

Summary of grants as of December 31, 2020:

NOTE: Some students received multiple grants at different issuances. The most any individual student received was $3,018.70. Total of 340 grants given to 264 unique students.

Students were informed in writing that they could use this grant for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care. Students were informed that they were not required to provide Clarks Summit University with any information on how the grant was used.

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) made funding available to Clarks Summit University by establishing the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II). Similar to the CARES Act and HEERF I, funds were allotted for Direct Emergency Financial Aid Grants as well as Institutional Funding.

Information about how Institutional funds were used may be found here. All funds were spent in Q1 2021.

CSU provided $301,710 in Direct Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. In addition to the $298,317 allocated for these grants, CSU used $3,393 of Institutional funds for such grants.

Grants ranged from $110.65 to $1,180.21. Students who were full-time residential and Pell eligible received the highest grants. Adjustments were made to lower the amount of a grant if a student was online or part-time. Online student grants were reduced by 10% and their enrollment status proportionately decreased their grant (ex: half time = 50%). As a student’s EFC increased, adjustments were made to phase out their eligibility for a grant. By the time a student’s EFC reached $42,000, there were no additional grants regardless of their status or enrollment method.

In total, 354 grants were issued to 354 students from a total pool 375 students in March 2021 based on spring enrollment. The average grant was $822.10.

Students were asked to complete a form answering the following questions in order to determine if they wanted their grant applied to any open balance. If a student didn’t respond in time, they were issued a check for their grant.

• I acknowledge that I will be receiving an Emergency Cash Grant, funded by the CRRSAA. The amount was determined by CSU based upon financial need, enrollment status, and my FAFSA.
• I acknowledge that I am eligible for payment by check regardless of the balance on my student account with Clarks Summit University.
• I understand that I may voluntarily choose to have my Emergency Cash Grant applied to my outstanding balance. If I choose not to have the Emergency Cash Grant applied to my student account balance, that decision will in no way affect the amount of the grant and I will instead receive a check. This decision is based on my sole discretion.
• How would you like to receive your Emergency Cash Grant? (check, or apply to account balance)
• I understand that regardless of my decision, I am responsible for all charges placed on my account and will be prevented from registering for classes in Fall 2021 if my prior balance is not paid in full.

In total, 56 students requested that their grant be applied to their student account totaling $45,709.29.

The American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) made funding available to Clarks Summit University by establishing the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III). Similar to the CARES Act and CRRSAA, funds were allotted for Direct Emergency Financial Aid Grants as well as Institutional Funding.

Information about how Institutional funds were used may be found here (Q2) (Q3) (Q4).

CSU provided $287,457 in Direct Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students in July 2021 and issued all remaining funds of $282,429.48 in November 2021.

Grant amounts were based on spring 2021 and fall 2021 Pell awards, respectively. Each student who received Pell received a grant and only students who received Pell received grants received cash grants.

In total, 428 grants were issued to 306 students. The average grant was $1,332.75. Grants ranged from $4.14 to $1,946.29.

Students were asked to complete a form answering the following questions in order to determine if they wanted their grant applied to any open balance. If a student didn’t respond in time, they were issued a check for their grant.

I acknowledge that I will be receiving an Emergency Cash Grant, funded by the ARP. The amount was determined by CSU based upon exceptional financial need and the amount of my spring 2021 Pell Grant.

I acknowledge that I am eligible for payment by check regardless of the balance on my student account with Clarks Summit University.

I understand that I may voluntarily choose to have my Emergency Cash Grant applied to my outstanding balance. If I choose not to have the Emergency Cash Grant applied to my student account balance, that decision will in no way affect the amount of the grant and I will instead receive a check. This decision is based on my sole discretion.

How would you like to receive your Emergency Cash Grant?

I understand that regardless of my decision, I am responsible for all charges placed on my account and will be prevented from receiving a transcript or diploma, or registering for classes in a future term if my prior balance is not paid in full

In total, 72 students (representing 81 grants between both semesters) requested that their grant be applied to their student account totaling $99,159.16.