COVID-19 Relief Fund

Funded by Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, Southeast Missouri State University is participating in the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which provides financial relief to institutions of higher education. Southeast has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement, and will receive a total of $6,830,214 through the HEERF.

Section 18004(c) of the CARES Act requires institutions to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. To meet this obligation, Southeast will provide no less than 50% of the total received ($3,415,107) in the HEERF Student Share as direct aid to eligible students.

Communications to Students

The following communications were made available regarding the HEERF Student Share:

HEERF Procedures

The HEERF Student Share will be administered by Student Financial Services, following procedures approved by the executive leadership. The following general procedures shall apply:

Students must submit their eligibility through the COVID-19 Relief Request at myworkflows.semo.edu.
1. Applications may only be submitted once, and students are only eligible to receive funding one time.
2. Should funding permit, a subsequent application may be developed and students will be notified via email.
To meet the eligibility requirements set by the US Department of Education, the following criteria must be met:
1. Students must be enrolled in non-web course(s) as of March 13, 2020.
2. Students must have a 2019-20 FAFSA on file with Southeast, to confirm Title IV eligibility.
Awarding methodology shall meet the following guidelines:
1. Awards will be made, ranging from $75 (minimum) to $750 (maximum); unusual circumstances may warrant an increased cap for an individual student, on a case-by-case basis.
2. Individual amounts will be based on a combination of the expenses reported, financial need as reported by the 2019-20 FAFSA, and available funding, to provide equity among all funded students. Internal procedures shall dictate these requirements.
Funding will be issued to students in the following manner:
1. Applications will be evaluated weekly, and students will be notified of a decision via email within 2 weeks of submission.
2. Approved applicants will receive a payment from Southeast via direct deposit (if enrolled) or via paper check.

HEERF Financial Reporting

Student Share: In accordance with the reporting requirements of the HEERF, the table below outlines the total amount disbursed from the student share, and the number of students who have received funding. This information must be reported within 30 days of the certification and updated every 45 days thereafter. Southeast estimates approximately 5,487 students are eligible to apply for this funding, having submitted a 2019-20 FAFSA and meeting the general awarding criteria.

Reporting Date	Total Disbursed	# of Students
May 21, 2020	$1,393,596.22	2,353
July 05, 2020	$3,415,107.00*	3,677
*As of July 5, 2020, all funding is exhausted.

Slide table left/right to view.

Institutional Share: In accordance with the reporting requirements of the HEERF, the use of institutional funds is outlined in the Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting.

HEERF II

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 by President Donald J. Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. In total, the CRRSAA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion former Secretary DeVos expeditiously provided last spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136.

Based on the approved funding, Southeast must provide direct student grants totaling at least $3,415,107, which is equal to the amount required by the original HEERF.

Awarding Methodology, HEERF II

COVID-19 Information