Information Regarding CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant
Belmont University has been allocated funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) Act, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. These separate acts established and funded the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency financial aid grants. These critical funds help eligible Belmont students cover expenses related to unanticipated travel, additional technology requirements, or other needs related to an emergency situation.
- Belmont University has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement for CARES funding to the U.S. Department of Education. Belmont University intends to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students (HEERF grants).
- Belmont University has received $10,602,018 from the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
- As of December 31st, 2021, Belmont University has distributed all $10,602,018 of the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, the CRRSA Act, and the ARP Act.
- Belmont University has an estimated 5,776 total students who are eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and who are thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
- A total of 4,801 Belmont University students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act (HEERF I), a Financial Aid Grant from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act – HEERF II), or the American Rescue Plan (ARP - HEERF III) as of December 31, 2021.
- Belmont University reviewed and considered the suggestion of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos when determining students with the most demonstrated need during the initial awarding of the grant. Undergraduate students with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 0-10,000 and Graduate students with an EFC of 0 received an immediate distribution of $1,000 to assist with loss of income, housing, childcare, or any educational costs that resulted from COVID-19. Subsequent grants under HEERF II and HEERF III ranged from $1,000 to $2,250.
- Belmont University published an emergency financial aid grants (CARES) webpage to our website (edu) that provides students and the public with information pertaining to the grant, criteria used to determine eligible students, and how to request an emergency grant.
Belmont notified all eligible students via email of the immediate distribution of the CARES grant that would be forthcoming. Belmont also notified all students who did not fall under the initial need criteria to receive an Emergency Financial Aid Grant, but were experiencing significant financial hardship related to the COVID-19 crisis, to contact Belmont University’s Student Financial Services to discuss their circumstances by emailing caresgrants@belmont.edu.
The CARES Grant response team reviewed email requests and sent students a link to communicate their situation and provide documentation (if available) related to the impact that COVID-19 had on their family. The response team followed up to distribute funds to students where applicable. Belmont University will continue to communicate the option of a Special Circumstance/Professional Judgment process to all FAFSA filers and their families that may have been impacted financially by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information about HEERF (CARES) emergency grants was published on Belmont’s site under COVID-19 resources and on the Student Financial Services webpage.