Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
Table of Contents
Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students
Fund Report, March 13 to September 30, 2020
Pittsburgh Technical College received education stabilization funds under Section 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Public Law No: 116-136. This Fund Report applies to the student portion received under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund that is designated exclusively for emergency financial aid grants to students.
- The institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. The institution has used, or intends 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.
- The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students is $1,648,040.
- The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of this Fund Report is $1,620,900.
- The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, and thus eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, as of the date of this Fund Report is 1,071.
- The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of this Fund Report is 917.
- The methods used by the institution to determine which students receive emergency financial aid grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act are provided at Attachment A.
- Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants are provided at Attachment B.
As of August 2020, PTC is embarking on the release of a second round of funding for students under the CARES Act. As with the first round, eligible students may complete a form to apply for funds.
Attachment A
Procedure for Disbursing Emergency Financial Support to Students
Under the Coronavirus AID, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act
The U.S. Department of Education made Emergency Financial support to students of our institution related to the disruption of campus operations due to Coronavirus. Pittsburgh Technical College was awarded $1,648,040 for our students. The following process was developed to disburse funds to on-ground students who were enrolled at PTC on March 13, 2020 who have not withdrawn or graduated as of the disbursement date:
Eligibility:
Any FAFSA eligible student enrolled on March 13, 2020, with the exception of those students that were enrolled 100% on-line. Each student must complete the attached application in addition to the enrollment requirement.
Award Amount:
Base award + additional award = Total Award
The base award is determined using the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from FAFSA. The lower the number, the higher the student’s need. Base award amounts were determined as follows:
EFC
| 0 (most need) | $2,000.00 |
| 1 – 2800 | $1,000.00 |
| 2810 – 5576 | $750.00 |
| 5577 and higher | $500.00 not qualified for additional award |
Additional award amounts were determined based on responses students provided to the following questions on the Emergency Financial Support application:
| I incurred a reduction in personal or family household income due to job loss, reduced work hours, or temporary furlough from work | $200.00 |
| 3 or more boxes checked on any of the following questions: – I incurred travel or moving expenses from housing in the Pittsburgh area due to the pandemic – I am financially responsible for my housing expenses – I am financially responsible for expenses related to my course materials to attend school – I am financially responsible for paying for technologies associated with attending online classes – I am financially responsible for my own health care costs – I have children and am financially responsible for childcare expenses | $100.00 |
The student application was uploaded and available to each eligible student via the EduApp student communication system on May 5, 2020. Each student was also informed via email of the application availability.
Processing applications
The steps for processing the applications are as follows:
- A spreadsheet was developed and prepopulated with the names of each student eligible for the distribution. This included a formula adding the base award to the additional award to calculate the total award amount.
- Information that students provided from the application is transferred from EduApp to the spreadsheet.
- As applications are received and processed, ACH or paper checks are sent to the students. The tracking sheet will record the date the application was received, the date the application was processed, and the check release date.
Attachment B
CARES Act Institutional Portion
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3).