ARP HEERF III 30-day reporting Fund Report -Posted 6/30/2021

Background: The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2 which was signed into law on March 11, 2021. ARP funds are in addition to funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136.

  1. Acknowledgement: Per sponsor requirements, Washington State University submitted the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution commits to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. This certification was submitted April 14, 2020.  Per sponsor requirements, “for existing private nonprofit and public CARES Act grantees, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) authorized supplemental awards to existing Student Aid Portion and Institutional Portion grantees.  These institutions will not be required to submit new or revised applications to the Department to receive these new funds.” Therefore, no new certification was completed for the HEERF III funding to use the funds received under Section 2003(a)(1) of the Act CFDA 84.425E Allocation to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
  2. Total amount received: WSU qualified for and received funds from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for HEERF III Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students, in the amount of $31,191,976 (in student-targeted funding). 
  3. Total amount distributed: As of June 19, 2021, WSU had distributed to students, under Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act, a total of $2,338,000
  4. Total number of students eligible: The estimated total number of students at Washington State University eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act is 14,955. This is based on students who have applied for financial aid and who have or were enrolled for Summer 2021, Fall 2021, or both.  As of the publication of this report, that figure for Summer 2021 is 5,448, and for Fall 2021 is 12,646.
  5. Total number of students served: As of June 19, 2021, WSU had distributed HEERF III, Emergency Financial Aid Grant support, Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act, to a total of 2338 students.
  6. Methods: The method(s) used by WSU to determine student recipients of Emergency Financial Aid Grants, and the amount they receive(d), under Section 2003(a)(1) of the ARP Act was created by WSU using the following criteria: Students were initially selected for Emergency Financial Aid Grants under the ARP program based on need as determined through the FAFSA application.  Pell eligible students, undergraduate students with an EFC of $12,000 or less and graduate and professional students with an EFC of $5,711 or less were considered.  Students were required to have been enrolled with 3 or more hours for Summer term, 2021.  Students selected received $1000 in ARP funding. 
  7. Additional instructions/information: Students were notified of being selected for HEERF III funds via email communication from the Student Financial Services Office. WSU will be releasing an email communication to students shortly regarding the HEERF III funds and the process for selection and for application.  Students will be directed to the WSU Student Care Network site where information about selection criteria is listed as well as information on how students not initially selected for ARP/HEERF III emergency funding can apply with the Emergency Fund Request form.