CARES Act Reporting — Oct. 10
As required by the Department of Education, ECU is providing the following information to our campus community and will update this content regularly based on current federal guidelines. Update: Dec. 31 CARES Act Reporting
- An acknowledgement that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students:
East Carolina University acknowledges that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
- Total amount of funds the institution will receive from the Department of Education: $19,358,758
Funds for use in assisting student directly: $9,679,379
- Funds disbursed to students, under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES ACT, as of Oct. 10, 2020:
Below is the current amount of funding and number of students assisted, as well as the specific category of need.
| Category of Need | Fund Code | Amount of Funding | Number of Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment/Technology needs | CAET | $867,017 | 1,647 students |
| Personal expenses | CAPE | $1,992,075 | 2,115 students |
| Housing and Food expenses | CAHD | $6,816,724 | 6,605 students |
| Total: | $9,675,816 | 10,367 students |
Additionally, we are able to share the university support for students who were not CARES Act eligible and applied for support.
| Type of Fund | Fund Code | Amount of Funding | Number of Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institutional funds (utilized for DE students/non-CARES eligible) | EHSA | $424,113 | 541 students |
| Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant | SEOG | $66,000 | 33 students |
| ECU Grant | ECUG | $10,000 | 5 students |
| State of NC COVID19 Recovery Act | NCCA | $57,765 | 28 students |
| Foundation funds (donor originated utilized for non-CARES eligible) | F004 | $41,606 | 57 students |
| S971 | $47,900 | 59 students | |
| Total: | $647,384 | 723 students |
- The estimated number of students eligible to participate in program under Section 848 in Title IV of the Higher Education Assistance Act of 1965 (generally, the student eligibility provisions as certified by successfully completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the FAFSA):
29,155 students successfully filed the FAFSA for Fall 2020, meeting criteria for CARES Act eligibility.
- The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
| Category of Need | Fund Code | Amount of Funding | Number of Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment/Technology needs | CAET | $867,017 | 1,647 students |
| Personal expenses | CAPE | $1,992,075 | 2,115 students |
| Housing and Food expenses | CAHD | $6,816,724 | 6,605 students |
| Total: | $9,675,816 | 10,367 students |
In total, we received 9,110 applications and awarded 10,367 students, including automatic disbursements based on students’ individual financial need.
- The method 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:
East Carolina University began collecting individual student appeals at the on-set of the pandemic via paper applications on March 15, 2020. On April 17, 2020, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs sent a mass email to all students enrolled advising them of the opportunity to appeal for assistance via an application on-line in the data collection website, FormStack, which utilizes single sign-on to verify student identity. Students were then able to select categories of need based on housing/food, books/supplies/technology, and lost employment/wages (our personal expenses category). Individuals were asked to provide information about the impact of COVID-19 on these areas, request an amount needed for funding, and share applicable documentation when available.
Once submitted, the applications were reviewed by a team of university individuals who check financial aid information, program of study and other details, then compile the data into a spread sheet for processing by the financial aid office. That team is comprised of staff from Financial Aid, University Scholarships and Student Affairs and they review each application and make recommendations for the award and source of funding. Depending on the student’s information, these funds could include CARES Act money, Student Emergency Funds/Student Treasure Chest Funds, or other available grants. Financial Aid staff review and approve the awards, then push these individual awards to our cashiers’ office for disbursement.
An additional email was sent out on May 18, 2020, from the ECU Interim Chancellor, including another link to the application, information about the CARES funding requirements, a webpage with Frequently Asked Questions, and details about the upcoming automatic disbursement process for students who are Pell-eligible and also meet the CARES funding requirements.
On June 13, 2020, after almost two months of accepting online applications through the FormStack link, the review team closed the form to ensure that funds were not overcommitted and could meet the remaining applications and student need.
On Aug. 17, 2020, students received an email from the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs regarding distribution of the remaining CARES Funds specifically for technology and connectivity needs. These funds would be disbursed in $500 CAET grants and a second FormStack application would remain open for five days for qualifying students to apply, with 3,432 applications submitted at that time. Submissions were prioritized based on expected family contribution and unmet financial need, with 1,520 awards being disbursed during the week of August 28, 2020. Students are now being redirected to the Student Treasure Chest/Student Emergency Fund process, as well as utilizing the financial aid Special Circumstances Petition to update their financial information.
- Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants:
All 24,574 enrolled students were sent emails on April 17, 2020, May 18, 2020, and August 17, 2020, with a link to the application and information about applying. At the same time, news coverage through The East Carolinian and ECU News Services provided additional details. The application was available on the ECU Coronavirus website, Financial Aid website, as well as the Students’ Treasure Chest website.
Students were able to email covid19grants@ecu.edu at any time for questions about status of their application, changes in their requests and other needs during the process. Staff members from the Dean of Students Office and Office of University Scholarships managed the email account and replied within 24 business hours once received.