HEERF Grant Reports

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Reports

During 2020 and 2021, TU received three allocations of federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF I, II, and III) to award grants to students. These funds were allocated by the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), the 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), and the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARP).

TU completed the U.S. Department of Education's HEERF Certification and Agreement form in April 2020, and all of these HEERF Student Portion funds will be spent on emergency financial aid grants to students. These grants helped eligible TU students with expenses related to housing, food, health care, child care, course materials, additional technology requirements, unanticipated travel, or other expenses related to coronavirus disruptions. 

HEERF Fund Student Allocation
HEERF I (CARES Act) $8,667,926
HEERF II (CRRSAA) $8,667,926
HEERF III (ARP) $24,557,277
Total Student Grant Allocations $41,893,129

All our HEERF I, II, and III fund allocations were fully spent by 2/12/2022.

Quarterly Reports - Student Grants

The table below shows the unduplicated HEERF Grant student recipients (#) and total dollars paid for each report period\quarter, and the cumulative recipients and grants paid. The Cumulative Federally Eligible (CFE) column, shows the cumulative number of students who met the minimum federal eligibility criteria for each report period based on the applicable HEERF I or HEERF II/III rules.

Funds Report Dates PERIOD # Period $ Cum # Cum $ CFE
HEERF I 2020 1st 30 4/25-5/25 6,144 $7,079,725 6,144 $7,079,725 14,529
HEERF I 2020 Q2 4/25-6/30 6,690 $7,622,494 6,690 $7,622,494 14,684
HEERF I 2020 Q3 7/1-9/30
 568 $214,583 6,848 $7,837,077 19,008
HEERF I 2020 Q4 10/1-12/31 568 $472,230 7,071 $8,309,307 19,008
HEERF I 2021 Final 1/1-2/12 255 $358,619 7,317 $8,667,926 19,807
HEERF I-II 2021 Q1 1/1-3/31 5,686 $8,211,787 9,161 $16,521,093 28,822
HEERF II-III 2021 Q2 4/1-6/30 460 $529,421 9,403 $17,050,515

29,208
HEERF II-III 2021 Q3 7/1-9/30 7,991 $14,704,494 12,456 $31,755,009 34,540
HEERF III 2021 Q4 10/1-12/31 7,446 $10,132,159 13,527 $41,887,268 34,540
HEERF III 2022 Q1 1/1- 3/31 54 $5,961 13,537 $41,893,129 35,594
HEERF III 2022 Q2 4/1- 6/31 0 0 13,537 $41,893,129 NA
All HEERF 1 (CARES) student funds ($8,667,926) were spent by 2/12/2021. All HEERF II student funds ($8,667,926) were spent by 9/30/2021. As of 2/12/2022, all HEERF funds have been awarded.

Quarterly Reports - Institutional Funds

In addition to the HEERF allocations for student grants, TU also received separate HEERF allocations for institutional expenses. These reports show how those institutional funds were spent.

Quarterly Reports - Combined Format

Starting with the 2022 2nd Quarter Report, the required reporting format switched to the new combined student and institutional report format below.

Student Grant Selection Criteria

The information below outlines the selection criteria for each round of HEERF Grant awards.

As the federal eligibility requirements for student grants changed with each round of funding, we adjusted our HEERF Grant award criteria. We awarded most of these HEERF grants through a series of automatic block grants to students who had applied for need-based financial aid by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For HEERF III funds, we also considered students who submitted MHEC's Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA). Students could also apply for HEERF Emergency Grants by submitting an Emergency Grant Application. 

HEERF I Distribution Formula

Towson University’s federal HEERF I (CARES) Grant distribution formula was based on the U.S. Department of Education’s recommendation to distribute funds to our most needy students first, but also recognized that other students and their families were also facing pandemic challenges. We awarded 16% ($1,390,159.97) of our CARES funds through a TU Student Emergency Grant application process to 1,868 students from the Spring 2020, Summer 2020, and Fall 2020 terms. We awarded 77% ($6,656,143) of our CARES student grant funds to 5,676 spring 2020 Pell Grant students, 3% ($263,004) of automatic CARES Grants awards to 158 students from the two additional groups of Fall 2020 students defined below, and the remaining 4% ($358,619.03) to the 255 Spring 2021 Pell Grant students defined below.

Spring 2020 Grants (HEERF I)

We awarded most of our HEERF I (CARES) funds to Spring 2020 Pell Grant students who were still enrolled in the Spring 2020 semester as of 5/6/2020. We emailed all recipients this notification. We included our Spring 2020 Pell Grant recipients and some additional Pell eligible students who didn't receive Spring Pell Grant payments because of Pell Grant enrollment or aggregate payment restrictions. These CARES grants were based on the following award formula:

TOTAL ATTEMPTED SPRING UNITS AMOUNT
Full-time (12 or more units) $1,226
¾ time (9-11 units) $920
½ time (6-8 units) $613
¼ time (1-5 units) $307

Fall 2020 Grants (HEERF I)

During the Fall 2020 semester, we awarded $128,386 (1.5% of budget) in automatic HEERF I (CARES) Grants to students whose MHEC Guaranteed Access Grants were reduced because they had to leave their on-campus housing assignments after the fall semester started. We emailed them this notification. We also awarded $134,618 (1.6% of budget) in automatic CARES Grants to former Fall 2020 Resident Assistants who lost their fall room and dining plan benefits because they had to leave their RA positions after the Fall 2020 semester started. We emailed them this notification. Both of these groups received Federal CARES Grants to help them with their fall meal expenses at home during the Fall 2020 semester.

February 2021 Grants (HEERF I & II)

The 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) allocated additional HEERF II funds to TU and authorized new award rules for any remaining HEERF I (CARES) funds. In February 2021, we awarded additional HEERF Grants to Spring 2021 Pell students who met the criteria below when we selected recipients on 2/12/2021. We emailed recipients this notification. These awards expended all of our remaining HEERF I (CARES) funds ($358,619.03) and $7,466,465 in HEERF II funds.

We included our Spring 2021 Pell Grant recipients and some additional Pell eligible students who didn't receive spring Pell Grant payments because of Pell Grant enrollment or aggregate payment restrictions. We didn't include students with SAP suspension status; incomplete FAFSA Verification statuses; students whose financial need was already fully met by other grants, scholarships, or tuition waivers; or students who already received their standard HEERF Grant limit from a Spring 2021 Emergency Grant. These HEERF Grants ranged from $1,600 to $400 based on recipients spring enrollment levels (full-time, 3/4, 1/2, or 1/4 time).

June 2021 Grants (HEERF II & III)

On June 22, 2021, we offered HEERF Grants to Spring 2021 students who had applied for 2020-2021 financial aid who met all the financial need and status criteria below as of June 21, 2021. Based on these criteria, we awarded $14,819,376 to 8,058 students from HEERF II and III funds. We emailed recipients this notification and asked all students to submit a HEERF Grant Payment Authorization Form to choose how they wanted their funds disbursed.

Grant Criteria

  • Aid Application - Submitted a complete 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including all requested FAFSA eligibility verification documents except for citizenship or loan default documents, or they submitted MHEC's Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA).
  • Spring 2021 Enrollment - Enrolled in at least six spring units and did not withdraw from all spring classes.
  • Academic Program Status - Officially pursuing a first bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or graduate certificate program. Did not graduate in May 2021 or have an active pending application for May 2021 graduation.
  • Academic Standing Status - Undergraduate students were not eligible if they were academically dismissed or suspended at the end of the spring term. Graduate students were not eligible if they were academically dismissed at the end of the spring term.
  • Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status - Must have been eligible to receive Spring 2021 aid based on their spring SAP status.
  • Unmet Costs – Students’ grant amounts couldn't exceed their unmet costs, and they must have had enough unmet costs for the Fall 2020, Winter 2021 and Spring 2021 terms to receive the Minimum Award amount below based on the following formula: cost of attendance budget minus all gift aid received (including grants, scholarships, tuition waivers, and other HEERF Grants).
  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC) - Because students have different cost of attendance budgets based on their degree types and tuition rates, students’ 2020-2021 FAFSA EFCs must have been under the following limits: 26,000 for in-state undergraduates, 40,000 for out-of-state undergraduates, 23,000 for in-state graduate students, 29,000 for out-of-state graduate students. 

Students' final HEERF Grant amounts were based on their unmet costs or the spring 2021 unit amounts and the minimum awards listed below, whichever were lower.

 

LIMIT TYPE 12 OR MORE UNITS 9-11 UNITS 6-8 UNITS MINIMUM AWARD
Undergraduate Students $2,000 $1,500 $1,000 $700
Graduate Students $1,200 $900 $600 $500

In November 2021, we reevaluated these June 2021 awards, and made additional awards to students who met all the criteria above with two changes. First, we removed the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Status requirement listed above. Second, we reevaluated the Academic Standing Status data to identify students who weren’t suspended or dismissed as of June 2021. Based on this reevaluation, we awarded $264,935 to 151 additional students.

November 2021 (HEERF III)

On November 1, 2021, we selected recipients for our last batch of HEERF Grants. These recipients met all of the criteria outlined below as of the selection date. We sent notifications to their TU email accounts on November 2 and 3. To choose their disbursement method, students had to submit a HEERF Grant Payment Authorization Form by Wednesday, November 17.  If they didn't submit the form by the deadline, their grants were processed as refund only and weren't be applied toward any charges on their TU bills.

SELECTION CRITERIA

  • Aid Application - Submitted a complete 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including all un-waived FAFSA verification documents, or submitted MHEC's Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA).
  • Fall 2021 Enrollment – Must have been currently enrolled in Fall 2021 classes as of the selection date. Undergraduate students must have been registered for at least six fall units and graduate students must have been registered for at least 9 fall units.
  • Academic Program Status - Officially pursuing a first bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or graduate certificate program.
  • Unmet Costs – Students’ grant amounts can't exceed their unmet costs, and they must have had enough unmet costs for the 2021-2022 academic year to receive the minimum award amounts below based on the following formula: Cost of Attendance Budget minus all gift aid offers (including grants, scholarships, and tuition waivers).
  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC) - Because students have different cost of attendance budgets based on their degree types and tuition rates, students’ 2021-2022 FAFSA EFCs must have been under the following limits: 26,000 for in-state undergraduates, 37,700 for out-of-state undergraduates, 14,000 for in-state graduate students, 17,000 for out-of-state graduate students.
  • COVID Aid Exclusion - Students who have already been offered a 2021-2022 TU One-Time COVID Relief Grant were not eligible to receive these HEERF Grants.
  • Additional Graduate Student Requirement - Because it is difficult to assess graduate students' financial need, we only offered grants to graduate students who borrowed fall loans.

Each recipients' final HEERF Grant amounts were based on each student's unmet costs, their fall units, or the minimum awards listed below, whichever were lower.

STUDENT TYPE 12 UNITS 9-11 UNITS 6-8 UNITS MINIMUM AWARD
Undergraduate $1,440 $1,080 $720 $700
Graduate $1,000 750 0 500

HEERFF Emergency Grants HEERFF I,III andIIII)

All TU students who were experiencing financial disruptions related to the coronavirus could also submit a TU Student Emergency Grant Application to apply for emergency grants. Depending on their eligibility, approved applicants received grants fromHEERFF funds or other private or institutional funding sources. As of the 2022 1st Quarter, we have awarded a total of $2,247,236HEERFF Emergency Grants. We emailed most recipients this notification. We closed theHEERFF Emergency Grant Application process in June 2021, then reopened it in October 2021.

To receiveHEERFF Emergency Grants through June 2021, students had to meet all of the following requirements:

  • Submitted a 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and met all of these federal aid eligibility requirements.
  • Enrolled at TU when they applied for an emergency grant during the Spring 2020 through Summer 2021 terms.
  • Students must have been undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in a degree program or eligible graduate certificate programs.
  • Students who received any of the automaticHEERFF grants above were also eligible to apply for additionalHEERFF funds through the Emergency Grant application process. When reviewing those requests the Emergency Grant review committee considered each student's needs and the funds they had already received from the automatic CARES Grants above.

Students who were only enrolled in the following online graduate programs were not eligible for HEERF Grants during the Spring 2020, Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters:

For theHEERFF Emergency Grants from October 2021 forward, all enrolled students were eligible to apply, and the Emergency Grant Review Committee reviewed the applications, selected recipients, and determined award amounts.