Admission & Aid

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Reporting

 

The US Department of Education Certification and Agreement directs each institution applying for Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to comply with Section 18004(e) of the CARES Act and to post the following information  30 days after the date when the institution received its allocation under 18804(a0(1) and updated every 45 days thereafter.  Updated regulations now require institutions to report total amount allocated and total unduplicated students awarded HEERF funds every quarter.

Santa Monica College received allocation: 05/04/2020

Date of First Report: 6/04/2020

  1. Santa Monica College acknowledges that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and assures that the institution has used, or 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.
  2. The total amount of funds that the institution has received from the Department pursuant to the institution's Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students is $34,148,479.
  3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act for the quarter ending 03/31/2022 
    As of 03/31/2022: $7,933,600
  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 eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 21,047.
  5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act for the quarter ending 03/31/2022.
    As of 03/31/2022: 8049
  6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. 
  7. Initially, in accordance with guidance provided by the US Department of Education, Santa Monica College students were evaluated for the following eligibility criteria:
    • Filed 19-20 FAFSA reflecting financial need
    • Actively enrolled for the semester awarded
    • EFC between 0-5576

    As of 05/21/20, the Department of Education changed the criteria for students to qualify for the CARES Act funding.  It was determined that students did not have to meet the conditions of Title IV eligibility to qualify for the CARES funds.  Based on the new criteria, Santa Monica College students were re-evaluated and many were awarded based on the new criteria as well as faculty referrals.

    A rubric score was generated based on additional criteria:

    • EOPS
    • CARE
    • CalWORKs
    • Pico
    • Guardian Scholars
    • Black Collegians
    • Latino Center
    • Veteran Resource Center
    • Housing insecure or homeless
    • Food insecure or receive Cal Fresh
    • Loss of income
    • Costs associated with caring for dependents
    • Costs for caring for other family members
    • Healthcare costs
    • Costs for course materials and technology
    • Undocumented
    • First Generation

    Students meeting the eligibility criteria listed above received the following grant amounts based on enrollment status.

    • Rubric score 0-5: $350
    • Rubric score 6-15: $600
    • Rubric score 16-above: $1,000
      • Note: For the summer 2020 term, we awarded students $250 based solely on faculty referrals.  Beginning Spring 2021, the amounts were increased to $700, $1,200, $2,000 respectively and for the summer 2021 term, the flat amount will be $500.

  8. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

    Students pre-selected based on the eligibility criteria were sent a survey questionnaire confirming their emergency needs via their student email.

    Once the students were evaluated by their survey response answers and awarded, an email was sent to notify them of the amount that they were eligible to receive, advised them to check their student portal to confirm their address, and informed them of a notify frame when they should receive their CARES funding.

Combined HEERF Reporting-Institutional/Student Portion

HEERF Reporting-Institutional Portion

HEERF Reporting-Student Portion