Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II Report – Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

30 Day Funding Report – Distribution as of 10/20/2022

Under the the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II), School of Visual Arts 209 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 OPEID 007468 received education stabilization funds designated exclusively for emergency financial aid grants to students.

Pursuant to guidance issued by the Department of Education through an Electronic Announcement published on 01/14/2021, we are providing the following information about the funds we have received, and how, and to whom, we have distributed them.

1 - On 03/15/2021, the institution signed and returned to the Department the Recipient’s Funding Certification and Agreement (for) Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students required to receive funds allocated under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). The institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the total funds received to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.

2 - The total amount of funds that the institution has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement specifically for emergency financial aid grants to students is $2,118,208 and SVA has allocated an additional $23,892 under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

3 - The total amount of emergency financial aid grants distributed to students under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) as of the date of this Fund Report is $1,200,850.00 to Pell recipients and $941,250.00 to non-Pell recipients with a completed 2020-21 FAFSA.

4 - 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 potentially qualified to receive emergency financial aid grants under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), as of the date of this Fund Report is 1,264 students.

5 - The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) as of the date of this Fund Report is 730 students received direct deposits and 512 students received checks of which 512 have been cashed. 

6 - The methods we used to determine which students receive emergency financial aid grants and how much they would receive under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) are included below under “Student Emergency Funding Allocation”:

• Priority for the emergency grant was given to students who successfully completed a 2020-21 FAFSA by the Spring 2021 semester to ensure the funds go to those with the greatest need. Of that population, students who were Pell recipients would receive an award amount of $2,350 while the remaining funds were divided among non-Pell recipients at $1,250 per emergency grant. Our office determined these amounts to ensure the neediest students received assistance. 

7 - The guidance/certification we provided to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants appear below under “Student Notices”:

• Eligible students received an email from our office on 05/04/2021 to their SVA email explaining their rights and responsibilities. Information regarding the emergency grants is posted on the Financial Aid page of the SVA website.

Student Emergency Funding Allocation - Student Notices

For questions or concerns regarding this Fund Report, please contact William Berrios, Director of Financial Aid.

Overview

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) appropriated $82 billion for education, and the Department has made available all but $1.9 billion of that funding in the 18 days since the law was enacted. Earlier this year, former Secretary DeVos expeditiously provided $30.75 billion for education through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The announcement awards $20.5 billion to public and non-profit colleges and universities and $681 million to proprietary schools. Public and non-profit schools can use their awards for financial aid grants to students, student support activities, and to cover a variety of institutional costs, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll. Proprietary schools must use their awards exclusively to provide financial aid grants to students. These FAQ’s are published to address some of the questions students may have.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Q: Which students are eligible to receive HEERF II student emergency grant funds?

A: To receive the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) student emergency grant funds, students must be eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid (e.g., Pell Grant, Direct Loans, etc.) and have incurred additional expenses due to campus disruptions due to the pandemic, such as food, housing, technology, course materials, health care, and childcare. After confirming a student meets these requirements, the institution retains discretion over which students will receive HEERF II student emergency grant funds and the amount of the award. 

Q: Are students required to have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file in order to be eligible for the HEERF II student emergency grant funds?

A: In order to establish a student’s eligibility for HEERF II funding, students must be able to demonstrate their eligibility for Title IV federal student aid. To do so, the College requires the student to complete a FAFSA application and meet the other related student eligibility requirements. In addition, the student must have qualifying expenses and be an active student in good standing. 

Q: What criteria was used to determine who receives the HEERF II student emergency grant funds?

A: Priority for the emergency grant was given to students who successfully completed a 2020-21 FAFSA by the Spring 2021 semester to ensure the funds go to those with the greatest need. To ensure those within that population with the greatest need received additional assistance, Pell recipients received a larger grant amount than non-Pell recipients.

Q: How much will I receive in the HEERF II student emergency grant assistance and when will it be disbursed?

A: Pell recipients received $2,350 and non-Pell recipients received $725. The funds were disbursed on 05/12/2021.

Q: Which students are not eligible to receive HEERF II student emergency grant funds?

A: International and Undocumented Students: In order to receive the HEERF II student emergency funds, the Department of Education states students must meet Title IV federal student aid eligibility requirements. Therefore, international and undocumented students are not eligible to receive HEERF II student emergency grant funds.

Q: Which expenses are the HEERF II student emergency grant funds for? And what can students use these funds for?  

A: HEERF II student emergency grant funds provide monetary assistance to students whose education has been disrupted because of the coronavirus global pandemic. The U.S. Department of Education has made the emergency grant aid available to students of institutions who need financial support for additional expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, including things like course materials and technology as well as food, housing, health care, and childcare. For example, because the College changed to online courses, a student may have incurred expenses to purchase a web camera, printer, computer software, or faster internet service. For HEERF II, a student had the option to apply their emergency grant funds towards an outstanding Spring 2021 balance. Our office provided students who met this criteria with an electronic form allowing them the option to request a portion/all of their emergency grant funds to be applied towards an outstanding Spring 2021 balance.

Q: What do students need to do, or what type of application does the student need to complete to participate in the HEERF II student emergency funds?

A: There is no application process in order to receive the emergency grant. Our office determined eligible students who met the awarding criteria and notified those students with an email to their SVA email. Students were given the option to opt out of receiving the emergency grant within five business days of receiving the email if they did not incur expenses as a result of the pandemic. If our office did not receive a signed and dated response from the student to that effect within five business days, we assumed that the student has incurred those expenses and will use the emergency grant towards them.

Q: Are there additional HEERF II emergency grant funds available to students with higher expenses and special needs?

A: All funds have been exhausted at this time.

Q: How will the students receive the funds?

A: For those students receiving an emergency grant, they were provided the opportunity to sign up for E-refunds if they had not already done so to have their refund deposited directly into their US bank account. Students who had not signed up for direct deposit will receive a check mailed to their current address on file. 

Q: Does the HEERF II emergency grant have to be repaid?

A: No, this is grant assistance and does not need to be repaid.