These emergency grants will help students manage expenses resulting from the disruption of campus operations caused by the pandemic. Eligible expenses include the cost of food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare.

Emergency grants will be limited in number and amount due to funding constraints.

Facts

  1. SUNY at Purchase College has completed the Certification and Agreement and intends to use no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.
  2. The college has been awarded $2,145,259 designated for emergency grants to go directly to students (this amount represents 50 percent of SUNY at Purchase College’s total CARES Act allocation).
  3. The college has identified 3,984 students who could be eligible. These students will receive an email with information about the CARES Act, eligibility and a link to the certification form.

CARES Act funding distributed by SUNY at Purchase College to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act

Date Reporting Requirement Update
6/20/2020 30 Day SUNY at Purchase College received the Grant Award Notice on May 20, 2020. As of June 20, 2020 SUNY at Purchase College has not yet distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
9/30/2020 Quarterly Since June 20, 2020, SUNY at Purchase College has distributed $1,838,330.57 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 2,543 students.
12/31/2020 Quarterly Since 9/30/2020 SUNY at Purchase College has distributed $306,928.43 in Emergency Financial Aid grants to 248 (32 unduplicated) students.
SUNY at Purchase College has distributed a total of $2,145,259.00 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 2,575 students. This final quarterly report posting covers all HEERF fund expenditures for Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

An eligible student satisfies all of the following criteria:
  1. Matriculated undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled. Students in all academic programs are eligible, as SUNY at Purchase College does not offer any solely online degree programs.
  2. Enrolled during the spring 2020 semester on or after March 22, 2020. Students who withdrew from the college prior to March 22nd are not eligible for a CARES Grant since they had withdrawn prior to the conversion to remote learning.
  3. Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid in 2019-20 or 2020-21 and a FAFSA on file in 2019-20 or 2020-21. See below definition of eligible for federal Title IV financial aid.
  4. Certify that they have already incurred, or will incur, allowable expenses that are related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, and attest that they have already spent, or will spend, the amount of the Base Grant on allowable expenses.
  5. There is an additional eligibility criteria for an Enhanced Grant. Students must list each allowable expense incurred or anticipated to incur. For each allowable expense, the student writes a brief description, describes how it is related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, and also specifies the amount of each allowable expense. Students are informed that the college reserves the right to request additional documentation and receipts.
  6. These criteria may be modified based upon any additional guidance from ED or SUNY.

According to federal regulations (Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)) a student is eligible for federal Title IV financial aid if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Be enrolled in a degree, certificate or other recognized educational credential (including a program of study abroad approved for credit by the eligible institution at which such student is enrolled) – that is, a regular student under 34 CFR 600.2);
  2. Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school and have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent;
  3. Be maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP);
  4. Not owe an overpayment (refund) on Title IV grants;
  5. Not be in default on a Title IV loan;
  6. File with ED “as part of the original financial aid application process” a certification (Statement of Educational Purpose) that includes: a) A statement of educational purpose, and b) The student’s Social Security Number (SSN);
  7. Be a U.S citizen or national, a permanent resident, or an eligible noncitizen;
  8. Have returned any fraudulently obtained Title IV funds, if the student is convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges;
  9. Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits;
  10. Have repaid any Title IV loan overpayment amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits, if obtained inadvertently;
  11. Have his Selective Service registration verified (the Title IV aid ineligibility for failure to register is actually in the Selective Service Act §3811(f));
  12. Have a valid SSN, except for residents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau; and
  13. Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations.

Students identified as eligible will receive an email from Student Financial Services with Base Grant details and a link to the certification and attestation page.

After close of the Base Grant awarding period, eligible students will receive an email with instructions to apply for the Enhanced Grant. Students must complete an Enhanced Grant application before the set deadline and must list each allowable expense incurred or anticipated to incur. For each allowable expense, the student writes a brief description, describes how it is related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, and also specifies the amount of each allowable expense. Students are informed that the college reserves the right to request additional documentation and receipts.

The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorizes colleges to award emergency financial aid grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses.

CARES Act Base Grants and Enhanced Grants will not need to be repaid.

CARES Act Base Grants and Enhanced Grants will not impact your financial aid.

SUNY at Purchase College plans to award CARES Emergency Grants according to two methods that are consistent with federal regulations and SUNY Guidance as of April 23, 2020.

The first method awards a CARES Base Grant to all eligible students, with a higher award amount for those who are high-need in contrast to those who are not. High-need eligible students are awarded $900 in a Base Grant and all other eligible students are awarded $300. A high-need student is an undergraduate who is Pell eligible or graduate student with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) below $5,576.

The second method provides eligible students with the opportunity to request a CARES
Enhanced Grant for expenses already incurred, or anticipated to incur that are in excess of the Base Grant amount. The maximum amount of the aggregate sum of the Base and Enhanced Grant for any student is $6,195, which is equivalent to the maximum Pell Grant for 2019-20 and suggested by ED.

SUNY at Purchase College will apply and disburse funds directly to students, bypassing Financial Aid processing completely. The entire CARES Base Grant and/or Enhanced Grant amount will be refunded, regardless of the account balance. Distinct Banner detail codes will be used to easily track these payments. Funds will be issued according to the student’s chosen method through our delivery partners, TouchNet and Intellecheck. Funds will either be deposited directly into the student’s checking/savings account or sent via paper check to the student’s address.