Photo by Lily Reavis ‘21
By Shanze Hasan ’21
News Reporter
On Monday, June 15, a few days after the College announced information regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, students who receive financial aid were notified by Student Financial Services about their eligibility for funding under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
The CARES Act is a federal grant that was recently introduced in order to provide relief to individuals as well as businesses in order to combat the negative impacts of the pandemic. According to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus bill was passed after much negotiation and was implemented on March 27, 2020 by President Donald Trump. According to the U.S. Department of Education, HEERF was established by Congress to provide funding to colleges and universities around the nation.
Mount Holyoke was awarded this funding based on the total number of Pell Grant recipients enrolled in the College by a formula devised by the U.S. Department of Education. The College will receive $794,402, which will be directly distributed to students in the form of emergency grants.
“At a time when unemployment is skyrocketing, I’m glad us students are being provided with some sort of relief,” Zenia Saqib ’20 said. 2020 graduates who were enrolled through March 27 will also qualify to receive grants.
These grants will range from $200 to $1,200 based on the students’ eligibility. In order to qualify for this funding, students must be enrolled as degree-seeking undergraduates, as of March 27. They must meet the Title IV Federal Financial Aid eligibility requirements, meet the minimum requirements of satisfactory academic progress and have a family contribution of less than $35,000 in the 2019-2020 academic year.
The College will distribute the grants in two phases. The initial phase, around mid-June, will directly deposit a major chunk of the funding into the eligible students’ accounts via Zelle Pay. In the second phase in mid-July, after the eligible students’ needs have been met, 10 percent of the remaining funding will be allocated to those who did not receive a grant in the initial phase through an application process. Each grant applied in the second phase will not exceed $200 per student.
Funds allotted to those who qualify were determined by Student Financial Services, Student Life and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as per the government’s guidelines. Grants were allocated based on each student’s family contribution using the College’s process of Institutional Methodology.
DACA and international students who would normally qualify to receive funding under the aforementioned criteria have been advised by the College’s immigration advisors to not accept the grants as their immigration status may be affected in the near future. According to the FAQ page posted on the College’s website, international students and those ineligible for financial aid were given priority when applying for Mount Holyoke’s emergency funding.
“Although I was one of the recipients of the emergency funding earlier this semester, as per federal guidelines I am not applicable for CARES funding,” Kusha Chopra ’21 said. “At a time like this, I wish international students were also provided with some sort of constant financial assistance.”
While international students will not be able to receive funding under the CARES Act, those that will receive it are feeling more confident about making ends meet in the future.
“The lack of employment prospects during COVID-19 has destabilized the lives of many, especially us students.” Zineb Takafi ’23 said. “This will provide students like myself a glimpse of hope during these very uncertain times.”