As the result of the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act, SUNY Oneonta will receive federal funding to distribute as emergency grants to students impacted by COVID-19.
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
- SUNY Oneonta 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.
- SUNY Oneonta has been awarded $2,870,409 designated for emergency grants to go directly to students (this amount represents 50 percent of SUNY Oneonta’s total CARES Act allocation).
- SUNY Oneonta has identified 4,825 students who could be eligible. These students will receive an email with information about the CARES Act, eligibility and a link to the application.
- The priority deadline was extended beyond June 30, 2020 and a final notice was sent on July 20th giving students until July 29th to apply for CARES Phase I. Phase II applications are currently under review.
| Date | Reporting Requirement | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 6/13/2020 | 30 Day | SUNY Oneonta received the Grant Award Notice on May 13, 2020. As of June 13, 2020 Oneonta has not yet distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. |
| 9/30/2020 | Quarterly | Since June 13, 2020, Oneonta has distributed $2,014,373.00 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 2,201 students. |
| 12/31/2020 | Quarterly | Since 9/30/2020 Oneonta has distributed $856,036.00 in Emergency Financial Aid grants to 1,964 students, of which 998 are new recipients. Oneonta has distributed a total of $2,870,409.00 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 3,199 students. This final quarterly report posting covers all HEERF fund expenditures for Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. |
Determination of an “impacted student” is a crucial part of ensuring that the emergency funds are delivered appropriately. Only students who are eligible for Title IV financial aid may receive this emergency funding.
You may be eligible to receive funding if you:
- are a matriculated undergraduate or graduate student; and
- are enrolled in any program (including those moved online temporarily due to COVID-19) that is not 100% distance education; and
- have completed the 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and are deemed eligible to receive Title IV aid; and
- are among those with the greatest need, as determined by the FAFSA.
If you have not completed a FAFSA for this current award year (2019-2020), please do so (by visiting https://studentaid.gov/) prior to June 30, 2020 so that we may assess your eligibility for funding.
Note also that emergency grants will be limited in number and amount due to funding constraints.
Students identified as eligible to apply will receive an email from the Financial Aid office with grant details and a link to the application.
The grant application will ask you to identify the ways in which you have been impacted by COVID-19, as well as your current living situation. Once your application is reviewed, you will receive an email indicating whether you will receive emergency funding.
The priority deadline has been extended to June 30, 2020.
CARES Act emergency grants will allow students to manage expenses resulting from the disruption of campus operations caused by the pandemic. Funding received may only be used for eligible expenses, which include the cost of:
- food;
- housing;
- course materials;
- technology;
- health care; and
- childcare.
CARES Act emergency grants will not need to be repaid.
CARES Act emergency grants will not impact your financial aid.
Oneonta CARES is a two-phase approach that allows us to deliver initial awards to students quickly. The plan focuses on spring semester students identified as eligible that have expenses related to the disruption on campus due to COVID-19.
The first phase is focused on students who have demonstrated need via the 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students in this phase self-identify by choosing from a list of impacted student expense statements.
Students who apply by July 29, 2020 and meet the outlined eligibility criteria will receive direct grant payments as follows:
| Expected Family Contribution* Range | Grant Amount |
|---|---|
| 0 – 5576 (Pell Eligible) | $1,100 |
| 5577 – 8000 | $900 |
| 8001 – 16000 | $500 |
| 16001 - 25632 (cost of attendance) | $200 |
| 25633+ (above cost of attendance) | $0 |
The second phase has a focused/targeted approach and requests details around the additional funding needs of specific groups of students as identified as our neediest in and outside of predefined Expected Family Contribution (EFC) bands. Based on information received from students, awards may be granted up to, but not more than, $6,195 (this includes funding received in phase 1).
Within both phases, we will communicate to students their eligibility, the online application process, outcomes, and next steps. Throughout the process, students will be prompted via email to provide any additional documentation that is necessary.
*EFC — the measure of a family's financial strength generated by the information provided on the FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education form used to distribute federal financial aid.
SUNY Oneonta will apply and disburse funds directly to students, bypassing Financial Aid processing completely. The entire CARES emergency aid 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 partner, BankMobile: ACH. Funds will either be deposited directly into the student's checking account or sent via paper check to the student’s address.
Questions? Email EmergencyRelief@oneonta.edu.