CARES Act

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced on April 9, 2020 the U.S. Department of Education was making immediately available to postsecondary institutions more than $6.2 billion in emergency grants for students impacted by Coronavirus and authorized the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES Act”). The approximately $6.2 billion accounts for the portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (Sec. 18004) that must be used to provide emergency financial aid grants directly to students.

The use of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) is governed by Sec. 180049 of the CARES Act and mandates, in part, that:

“Institutions of higher education shall use no less than 50% of such funds to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, course materials, housing, healthcare, child care and technology expenses”

The first allocation, which represents 50 percent of an institutions total allocation under the HEERF, must be used exclusively for student emergency financial aid grants.

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts has applied for and been approved for this grant. We have received a total of $169550 to distribute in emergency financial aid grant funds to students.

The estimated total of students eligible for this CARES Act relief grant is approximately 445.

The total amount as of 8/7/2020 that has been distributed to students is $160300 with a total of 418 checks cut to students.

Southwest Institute of Healing Arts used Pell eligibility and enrollment status to determine eligibility and grant amounts. Those students who were Pell Grant eligible were issued $500 and those who did not receive Pell Grant funding received $200.