HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND: TRINITY COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

This statement provides information concerning Trinity’s administration of funds under the 2021 Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund I, II and II. Below are links to the required quarterly reports and additional details further below.

HEERF III Funds for Emergency Student Grants and Balance Paydowns

As of May 25, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (aka HEERF III) made funds available to Trinity and Trinity students as follows:

$2,871,000 for student emergency grants; and

$2,871,000 for institutional support.

Student emergency grants: From August 12, 2021 through January 5, 2022, Trinity has awarded 1018 emergency grants through HEERF III in a total amount of $2,026,337.00 for student needs. Trinity continues to make emergency grant awards through HEERF III.

Additionally, since the rules allow institutions to use their institutional support grants to reduce student debt to the institution, Trinity is choosing to use most of the institutional grant to reduce or eliminate student account balances. As of September 30, 2021, Trinity has eliminated account balances for 540 full-time undergraduates in the amount of $2.3 million.

HEERF II Administration of Funds for Emergency Student Grants 2021

Starting on March 9, 2021, Trinity began administration of HEERF II Emergency Student Grants. Trinity must award a total of $980,000 through HEERF II.

As of May 21, 2021, Trinity awarded a total of $997,464 in HEERF II funds to 588 students. In keeping with the regulatory requirement to award these funds to students with exceptionally high need 90% of the Trinity recipients to date are Pell Eligible students, and the other 10% have demonstrated high need in other ways. Additionally, Trinity has awarded $48,317 in privately funded grants to 58 students who are not eligible for HEERF II grants.

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CARES Act Administration of Funds for Emergency Student Grants 2020

This statement provides information to comply with reporting requirements for Trinity’s participation in the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

On April 9, 2020, in a letter from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Trinity learned that the university would receive an allocation from the HEERF program of $1,960,751 of which no less than $980,376 must be distributed to eligible students in the form of emergency grants related to disruption of instruction due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On April 14, 2020, Trinity submitted the required grant documents for the first part of the HEERF funds for student emergency grants. Trinity submitted the required certification document at that time.

On April 21, 2020, Trinity submitted the required grant documents for the second part of the HEERF funds for institutional grants. Trinity submitted the required certification document at that time.

On April 25, 2020, Trinity received notice that the HEERF emergency student funds grant of $980,376 was approved and ready for drawdown in the G5 system.

On April 26, 2020, Trinity President Patricia McGuire issued a notice to all students concerning the availability of the emergency grants and the eligibility requirements. Trinity opened a website portal to enable students to apply for the grants.

As of April 30, 2020, Trinity disbursed 669 grants totalling $977,165 to eligible students. The average grant size was $1460. Pell grant recipients enrolled on a full-time basis received grants up to $2000. Part-time Pell grantees received grants up to $1500. Other qualified students received grants up to $1000.

On May 6, 2020, Trinity received notice that the HEERF institutional grant portion of $980,376 was approved and available for drawdown.

On May 8, 2020, Trinity made a second set of awards bringing the total CARES Act grants to $1,085,765 for 737 students with Title IV eligibility. The total amount exceeds the 50% minimum required for the HEERF grants.

Trinity estimates that 1280 Title IV eligible students are enrolled in Spring 2020; the number is based on the number of students who filed FAFSA for Spring 2020.

Trinity has also disbursed nearly $107,059 in emergency grants to 80 students from privately funded sources. These grants were awarded to students who are ineligible for the federal grants, allocated in the same proportions.

Hence, in total as of May 8, 2020, Trinity has disbursed $1,192,824 ($1,085,765 CARES + $107,059 private) in emergency grants to 817 students (737 CARES eligible + 80 others).

From May 8 to May 15, 2020, Trinity disbursed an additional 24 CARES grants and 4 other emergency grants. As of May 15, 2020, Trinity has disbursed a total of $1,228,575 ($1,116,716 CARES + $111,859 private) to 844 students (761 CARES + 84 others).

From May 15 to May 22, 2020, Trinity disbursed an additional 21 CARES grants and 4 additional emergency grants.

As of May 22, 2020, Trinity has disbursed a total of $1,262,375 ($1,145,816 CARES + $116,559 private) to 869 students (782 CARES + 87 others). 60% of the CARES grants went to Pell grantees.

As of June 1, 2020, Trinity has disbursed a total of $1,283,935 ($1,165,876 CARES + $118,059 private) to 885 students (796 CARES + 89 others). 60% of CARES grants went to Pell grantees. 56% of the entire spring enrollment received grants.

FINAL: As of June 8, 2020, Trinity has disbursed a total of $1,291,435 ($1,173,376 CARES + $118,059 private) to 892 students (803 CARES + 89 others). All funds are now disbursed.

On May 1, 2020, Trinity received notice that it is eligible for an additional grant of $267,000 under the HEERF program because Trinity is a Minority Serving Institution. Trinity applied for this grant on May 2 and submitted the required certification document.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://discover.trinitydc.edu/student-affairs/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2021/03/12-31-2020-HEERF-QUARTERLY-REPORT.pdf” title=”Trinity CARES ACT December 2020 Quarterly Report”]

Trinity CARES ACT Quarterly Report 9/30/2020