Emergency Financial Aid Reporting
Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students Fund Reporting
On March 27, 2020, the president of the United States signed the CARES Act (H.R. 748), which provides emergency relief funds to organizations and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), found in Section 18004 of the CARES Act, provides funding to institutions of higher education “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” This report provides details on the first award Soka University of America received under the HEERF, the funds for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Award No. P425E200700.
Certification
Soka University of America (SUA) signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement for ED-GRANTS-041020-003 on April 13, 2020, and we received our grant award notification on May 13, 2020. SUA will 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.
Award
Soka University of America will receive a total of $351,126 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the HEERF. At least $175,563 will be distributed directly to students impacted by campus disruptions due to the coronavirus. These funds being from the Department of Education and pursuant to our Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
Funds Distributed
As of 12/31/20, Soka University of America has distributed $175,563 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to eligible students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Student Eligibility
Soka University of America (SUA) has an estimate of 212 students eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. As of 07/15/20, SUA has distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 212 students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Method Used to Determine Students Eligibility
Tiers representing students Expected Family Contribution (EFC) are used to determine how much funds students are to receive. Below are the tiers with the amounts. Students did not have to apply with an application.
- Tier 1 EFC $0-5,100, Award $2,135 for the term
- Tier 2 EFC $5,101-15,000, Award $1,548 for the term
- Tier 3 EFC $15,000-51,000, Award $1,250 for the term
- Tier 4 EFC > $51,001, Award $1,005 for the term
- Tier 5 Students who did not already apply for aid but can verify eligibility for Title IV funding within the awarding disbursement period, Award $705 for the term
Instructions/Directions Given to Students
Instructions, directions and guidance provided to students regarding these Emergency Financial Aid Grants can be found on the Soka Financial Aid FAQ page.
Institutional Portion of the HEERF Grants Reporting
On March 27, 2020, the president of the United States signed the CARES Act (H.R. 748), which provides emergency relief funds to organizations and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), found in Section 18004 of the CARES Act, provides funding to institutions of higher education “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.” This report provides details on Institutional Portion of the HEERF Grants under Award No. P425F200284.
Certification
Soka University of America (SUA) signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement the Institutional Portion of the HEERF under ED-GRANTS-041020-004 on April 21, 2020, and we received our grant award notification on May 14, 2020. SUA will used 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.
Award
Soka University of America will receive a total of $351,126 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the HEERF. At least $175,563 will be distributed directly to students impacted by campus disruptions due to the Coronavirus. These funds being from the Department of Education and pursuant to our Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
Funds Distributed
As of 12/31/20, Soka University of America has distributed $343,756 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to eligible students ($175,563 from Award No. P425E200700 for Emergency Financial Aid Grants and $168,193 from Award No. P425F200284 from the Institutional Portion of HEERF) under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Student Eligibility
Soka University of America (SUA) has an estimate of 212 students eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. As of 12/31/20, SUA has distributed Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 212 students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Method Used to Determine Students Eligibility
Tiers representing students Expected Family Contribution (EFC) are used to determine how much funds students are to receive. Below are the tiers with the amounts. Students did not have to apply with an application.
- Tier 1 EFC $0-5,100, Award $2,135 for the term
- Tier 2 EFC $5,101-15,000, Award $1,548 for the term
- Tier 3 EFC $15,000-51,000, Award $1,250 for the term
- Tier 4 EFC > $51,001, Award $1,005 for the term
- Tier 5 Students who did not already apply for aid but can verify eligibility for Title IV funding within the awarding disbursement period, Award $705 for the term
Instructions/Directions Given to Students
Instructions, directions, and guidance provided to students regarding these Emergency Financial Aid Grants can be found on the Soka Financial Aid FAQ page.
HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting
CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3)
Institution Name: Soka University
Date of Report: 1/6/2021
Covering Quarter Ending: 12/31/2020
Total Amount of Funds Awarded
- Section (a)(1) Institutional Portion: $175,563
- Section (a)(2): NA
- Section (a)(3): $148,874
Final report? Yes
| Category | Amount in (a)(1) institutional dollar | Amount in (a)(2) dollars, if applicable | Amount in (a)(3) dollars, if applicable | Explanatory Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providing emergency financial aid grants to students or tuition reimbursements | $168,193 | — | — | — |
| Providing tuition discounts | — | — | — | — |
| Covering the cost of providing additional technological hardware to students, such as laptops or tablets | — | — | — | — |
| Providing or subsidizing the costs of high-speed internet to students or faculty to transition to an online environment | — | — | — | — |
| Subsidizing off‐campus housing costs due to dormitory closures or decisions to limit housing to one student per room; subsidizing housing costs to reduce housing density; paying for hotels or other off‐campus housing for students who need to be isolated; paying travel expenses for students who need to leave campus early due to coronavirus infections or campus interruptions. | — | — | — | — |
| Subsidizing food service to reduce density in eating facilities, to provide pre‐packaged meals, or to add hours to food service operations to accommodate social distancing. | $7,370 | — | — | — |
| Costs related to operating additional class sections to enable social distancing, such as those for hiring more instructors and increasing campus hours of operations. | — | — | — | — |
| Purchasing additional instructional equipment and supplies (such as laboratory equipment or computers) to reduce the number of students sharing equipment or supplies during a single class period and to provide time for disinfection between uses. | — | — | — | — |
| Replacing lost revenue due to reduced enrollment | — | — | — | — |
| Replacing lost revenue from non‐tuition sources (i.e., cancelled ancillary events; disruption of food service, dorms, childcare or other facilities; cancellation of use of campus venues by other organizations, lost parking revenue, etc.) | — | — | $148,874 | — |
| Purchasing faculty and staff training in online instruction | — | — | — | — |
| Purchasing additional equipment or software to enable distance learning, or upgrading campus Wi‐Fi access or extending open networks to parking lots or public spaces, etc. | — | — | — | — |
| Campus safety and operations | — | — | — | — |
| Other Uses of Funds | — | — | — | — |
| Quarterly Expenditures for each Program | $175,563 | — | $148,874 | — |
| Total of Quarterly Expenditures | $324,437 |