CRRSAA Student Emergency Grant - College Discretionary Funds Methodology - College Discretionary ...

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CRRSAA Student Emergency Grant - - College Discretionary Funds Methodology
Baruch College - - 00727300

Baruch College’s CRRSAA Discretionary Awarding Methodology Baruch College was allocated
$283,672 in Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)
discretionary funding. The focus will be to prioritize and distribute the award to students enrolled
during Spring 2021 with exceptional need, demonstrated by the presence of a Pell eligible EFC.
Thereafter, students enrolled for Spring 2021, irrespective of the immigration status with the
Department of Homeland Security, will be considered for the CRRSAA funds, with the goal of
awarding undocumented students.
Finally, if the allocation has not been fully exhausted, students enrolled during Fall 2020
displaying exceptional need, as described above, and not awarded the CRRSAA, will be
awarded, before non-FAFSA filers are considered.
Note: An eligible student is defined as any individual who is or was enrolled at the institution on
or after March 13, 2020, the date of declaration of the national emergency due to the
coronavirus, regardless of the FAFSA completion status or Title IV eligibility.
Selection Criteria
The following was used to identify students to award the CRRSAA discretionary grant:
• The CU_FA_CRRSAA_DISC_SELECT query provided by OSFA, in addition to enrolled
students not previously awarded the CRRSAA grant, but not reflected in OSFA’s selection
query.
• Priority will be given to graduate/undergraduate students enrolled during Spring 2021 who
have not withdrawn, before evaluating undergraduate students enrolled during Fall 2020,
reflecting exceptional need and have not withdrawn.
The CRRSAA discretionary grant will be issued as a direct payment to the student. The award
amount will be determined by the student’s enrollment, which will be categorized as full-time or
part-time. Full-time students will be awarded $500 and Part-time students $250.

Communication which will be sent to the student:
Dear Student,
We are pleased to inform that you were awarded a grant through the Federal Coronavirus
Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). We hope that the funds
provide you with assistance for emergency costs that arose due to the COVID-19 pandemic or
for any component of your cost of attendance. The CRRSAA funds will be refunded to you. You
do not need to do anything to receive the Federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) award.

To view the award:
• Log in to your CUNYfirst Student Center
• Click on “View Financial Aid.”
We encourage students to set up direct deposit, if they have not already done so. If direct deposit
is not set up, the refund will be mailed to you as a paper check.

There is no need to acknowledge or respond to this email.
Sincerely,
Financial Aid Services

Borough of Manhattan CC - - 00269100

BMCC Discretionary Disbursement Plan For Federal CRRSAA Funds

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) has a committee currently in place that reviews
application requests from students for BMCC emergency grants. Membership on the committee includes
staff from the Financial Aid Office, Advocacy and Resource Center, Counseling Center and First-Year
Programs, and is chaired by the Dean of Student Affairs. The committee meets at least three times each
week. The applications from students for emergency funds are processed through the BMCC Advocacy
and Resource Center. Once the application is completed with supporting documents, the file is sent to the
committee for review. The committee determines the amount of funds to award as a grant, but will not
exceed the amount agreed on by the college. The information and funding recommendations, if necessary,
are transferred to the Central Office for distribution of funds to the identified students. The college will
utilize the committee to assist with the distribution of the CRRSAA Federal Funds. BMCC will prioritize
students with exceptional needs such as students who receive Pell. However, students do not need to be
Pell recipients or eligible for Pell grants. In addition, we will provide financial aid grants to DACA,
DREAMers, international and undocumented students.

Phase 1: Evaluation
1- In distributing the Federal CRRSAA grant to students, BMCC will set the discretionary fund
amount that will be distributed to students to a maximum of $1,500. BMCC will consider
funds that are distributed to students at the CUNY level and BMCC Emergency COVID-19
grants during the 2021-2022 academic year.

2- The BMCC committee will take the following steps to encourage students to apply for funds:
a. Identify students who were enrolled for spring 2020, summer 2020, fall 2020 and
spring 2021 semesters and did not receive CUNY Comeback funds.
b. Identify students who utilized the BMCC Emergency Grant system to apply for a
grant in the 2021-2022 academic year and requested up to $1,500, but were awarded
less.
c. Inform the college community of available funds to serve students in need.

Phase 2: Committee Review
Application files will be reviewed by the BMCC Emergency Grant Review Committee to determine if
additional grants should be awarded. The committee will meet, as needed, but at least once per week.

Phase 3: Fund Disbursement
The BMCC Emergency Grant Review Committee will send the list of students qualified to receive
discretionary grant awards to the BMCC Financial Aid Office and BMCC Fiscal Office to send to CUNY
Central for fund disbursement to the students. The list will be sent to the offices once per week.
Phase 4: Follow up

BMCC Advocacy and Resource Center specialists will follow up with students to confirm receipt of the
grant. The BMCC Advocacy and Resource Center specialists will work with the students, as needed, to
provide any additional wraparound services to assist students with other needs.

                                                 3

Bronx CC - - 00269200

Bronx Community College has $138,000 of Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) discretionary funds to award and disburse as financial aid grants directly to
students who meet the criteria and have requested assistance.

The college prioritized eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary Grant based on:

       Students who were registered for FALL 2021
       Have submitted a FASFA
       Can demonstrate hardship
       First come first serve with a completed application
This priority criterion was defined as:

    1) Enrollment in FALL 2021 Financial aid term with enrollment who have not term withdrawn or
       have a pending, adjusted or completed R2T4 worksheet;
    2) Completion of a FASFA demonstrating need as defined by an Official Expected Family
       Contribution EFC or with a certification code 1 on the HESC comprehensive student status file;
    3) Did not initially receive a CRRSAA student grant during the FALL 2021 term.

The College will also consider:

    4) students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no FAFSA on file, DACA, and
       undocumented who also do not have a certification code 1 on the HESC comprehensive student
       status file

As part of our awarding methodology, we acknowledge and understand that the discretionary resources
will be issued as direct payments to students impacted as a result of COVID 19.

The College expects to award up to $500 to assist approximately 279 students.

                                                   4

Brooklyn College - - 00268900

Brooklyn College has $364,235 of Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) discretionary funds to award and disburse as financial aid grants
directly to students.
The college identified the eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary Grant
based on:

1. Undergraduate students with a Spring 2021 Financial aid term with enrollment who have not
withdrawn.

2. Undergraduate students with an official EFC or with a certification code 1 on the HESC
comprehensive student status file (regardless of EFC or FAFSA filing Status) were
prioritized based on CUNY’s base rate awarding criteria.

3. Undergraduate students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no FAFSA on
file, DACA, and undocumented who also do not have a certification code 1 on the HESC
comprehensive student status file were also awarded based on a fixed amount of $124.11.
As part of our awarding methodology, we acknowledge and understand that the discretionary
resources will be issued as direct payments to students impacted as a result of COVID 19.

The CRRSAA Discretionary Grant awarding methodology is listed below.

1. Base rate of $440 for full time and 1/2 base rate of $220 for less than full time established
by CUNY is used to award undergraduate students with an official EFC or without an
official EFC or no FAFSA who have a certification code 1 on the HESC comprehensive
student status file.
2. Undergraduate students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no FAFSA
on File, DACA, international student as identified by the CUNYfirst ISS student group
and undocumented who also do not have a certification code 1 on the HESC
comprehensive student status file were also awarded a flat rate of $124.11.
3. Financial aid load (enrollment status).
4. Citizen, permanent resident, legal non-citizen status, or non-citizen.

Awarding was only considered after all FAFSA filers who did not receive the original
CRRSAA allocation was prioritized.

City College - - 00268800

City College has $344,368 of Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations
Act (CRRSAA) discretionary funds to award and disburse as financial aid grants directly to
students.
1. The College identified the eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary Grant
based on Spring 2021 Financial aid term with enrollment who has not withdrawn. The students
with official EFC were prioritized based on CUNY’s projected awarding criteria.

2. Full time undergraduate students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no
FAFSA on file, DACA, and undocumented were also awarded based on a fixed amount of $115.
As part of our awarding methodology, we acknowledge and understand that the discretionary
resources will be issued as direct payments to students impacted as a result of COVID 19.

The CRSAA Discretionary Grant awarding methodology is listed below.

1. Pell Grant award amount based on EFC (or potentially eligible) or
2. Financial aid load (enrollment status)
3. Citizen, permanent resident, legal non-citizen status, or non-citizen.

1. We awarded students using the defined EFC bracket for FAFSA filers with base rate of $440
for full time and 1/2 base rate of $220 for less than full time.

The EFC brackets are as follows:

EFC would qualify the student for 0.1-24% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 25%
EFC would qualify the student for 25-49% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 50%
EFC would qualify the student for 50-74% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 75%
EFC would qualify the student for 75-99% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 100%
EFC would qualify the student for the Pell Max: Base Rate + 125%

2. Full time undergraduate students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no
FAFSA on File, DACA, and undocumented were also awarded $115.

Awarding was only considered after all FAFSA filers who did not receive the original
CRRSAA allocation was prioritized.

School of Medicine - - Branch

The School of Medicine will apply all CRRSSA discretionary funds by prioritizing
our neediest students by applying the CUNY methodology that has been

established. For students with FAFSA data, the School of Medicine will follow the
University methodology below:
To determine eligibility, CUNY took count of students awarded as of April 29th, 2021 with the
Pell maximum award amount in Spring 2021, then counts of students whose award amounts are
between 75-99% of the maximum award amount, counts of students whose award amounts are
50-74% of the maximum award amount, etc. Non-Pell eligible students who submitted a FAFSA
(primarily graduate students) were slotted into the appropriate brackets based on their EFCs.
Students with incomes that are high enough that they would not qualify for a Pell grant will get
the base rate but would not get a supplement based on the EFC.
The Pell amount the student is eligible for, based on their Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), is
compared to the maximum Pell Grant term award amount for 20-21 ($3,172.50) to determine
the percentage of Pell ranges, and which category the student falls into for the award amount
calculation. This amount is then modified if the student is less than full-time and/or has
dependents.

Above the base rate, and to prioritize students with exceptional need, there are income brackets
based on the effective family contribution (EFC) amounts determined by financial aid. Students
with an EFC that would qualify them for a Pell grant will receive a supplemental amount above
the base rate. Students in each successive bracket will receive an additional sum equal to 25% of
their base rate. The EFC brackets are as follows:

       ● EFC would qualify the student for 0.1-24% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 25%
       ● EFC would qualify the student for 25-49% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 50%
       ● EFC would qualify the student for 50-74% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 75%
       ● EFC would qualify the student for 75-99% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 100%
       ● EFC would qualify the student for the Pell Max: Base Rate + 125%

These EFC brackets were determined by taking the count of students awarded with the Pell
maximum award amount in Spring 2021, then counts of students whose award amounts are
between 75-99% of the maximum award amount, counts of students whose award amounts are
50-74% of the maximum award amount, etc. Non-Pell eligible students who submitted a FAFSA
(primarily graduate students) were slotted into the appropriate brackets based on their EFCs.
Students with incomes that are high enough that they would not qualify for a Pell grant will get
the base rate but would not get a supplement based on the EFC.

Financially Independent Students with Dependents: Independent students with dependents get
an additional amount equal to 25% of the base rate. Therefore, a student whose EFC puts them

                                                7

in the 0-24% Pell bracket would get the Base Rate + 50% (i.e. they would move up to the next
bracket).

For our undocumented population, we will continue to prioritize the neediest by
making available the Emergency Grant application that provides an overview of
each applicant needs.

                                              8

College of Staten Island - - 00269800

Two categories of spring 2021 students will be selected based on formula used for previous HEERF
funds:

    1) Students who completed FAFSA and based on EFC
       170 students - $121,050

    2) Remaining students – no FAFSA, undergrads, F/T status, regardless of immigration status
       1,059 students - $163 each. - $172,617

Total - $293,667

                                                 9

Graduate Center - - 00476500
We will prioritize students with the greatest financial need, including but not limited to the following
categories:

Unfunded health issues

Food insecurity

Housing loss or impending loss

Employment loss

Technology needs
Travel or other needs for international students
Childcare issues

$1000 max. We will advertise it to all registered students for 20-21.

GRD Student Communication
Subject: Student Emergency Grants from CRRSAA, on Behalf of Office of
Fellowships and Financial Aid

Dear Graduate Center students,
We are pleased to let you know that the Graduate Center is now able to make
grants of up to $1,000 to students who are facing financial hardship, as a result of
the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the Coronavirus Response
and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

The grant program prioritizes students with the greatest financial need, including
but not limited to the following categories:
Unfunded health issues
Food insecurity
Housing loss or impending loss
Employment loss
Technology needs
Travel or other needs for international students
Child care issues

This round of funding ($93,815) is available to students who were enrolled in the
spring 2021 semester. Another round of funding is expected in the fall.
To apply, students must complete this form and submit it to the Office of
Fellowships and Financial Aid at financialaid@gc.cuny.edu.
-The Office of Fellowships and Financial Aid

                                                    10

School of Journalism

SOJ01 will consider all applications from eligible students but will prioritize students with the
greatest financial need, including but not limited to the following categories:

           Unfunded health issues
           Food insecurity
           Housing loss or impending loss
           Employment loss
           Technology needs
           Travel or other needs for international students
           Childcare issues

   Applications will be reviewed by the Dean and Director of Student Affairs. Grants will not exceed
   $2000

   Applications will be reviewed by the Dean and Director of Student Affairs.

    SOJ HEERF Student
   Emergency Grant App

            School of Labor and Urban Studies

   We would prioritize students with the greatest financial need, including but not limited to
   the following categories:

   Unfunded health issues
   Food insecurity
   Housing loss or impending loss
   Employment loss
   Technology needs
   Travel or other needs for international students
   Childcare issues
   Past due balances
   $500 max. We will advertise it to all registered students for 20-21.
   SLU Student Communication
   Subject Line: Student Emergency Grants Available from CRRSAA, Apply Now!

                                                      11

Body:

The CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies is now able to offer grants of up to $500 to students who
are facing financial hardship, as a result of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).

The grant program prioritizes students with the greatest financial need, including but not limited to the
following categories:

       Unfunded health issues
       Food insecurity
       Housing loss or impending loss
       Employment loss
       Technology needs
       Travel or other needs for international students
       Child care issues
To apply, visit our website: https://slu.cuny.edu/tuition-and-financial-aid/education-
financing/financial-aid/student-emergency-grants-from-crrsaa/ [slu.cuny.edu]

For priority consideration, please submit by: July 9, 2021

Upload all documents to: https://www.dropbox.com/request/1HGCejFQfNpy91ZxZZgg

          School of Public Health

                                        SPH HEERF II CRRSAA Funds
Award amount: $212.50 is the amount that eligible students enrolled in Spring 2021 are awarded. This
includes full-time and Three Quarter time students in credit-bearing programs.

EFC Brackets: Based on the effective family contribution (EFC) amounts determined by financial aid,
students with an EFC of 0

Campus Allocations: $20,612
Number of Students Awarded: 97
SPH awarding formula
•       Filed a FAFSA for 2020-2021

•       Ran through the packaging process, with an EFC of 0

•       Registered for spring 2021 in a Title IV eligible degree granting program

•       Financial aid load (enrollment status), at least 9 credits

                                                       12

School of Professional Studies

HEERF II (CRRSAA): $256,589
 Inc. MSI recipients: 1,325 students
 Exc. MSI recipients: 1,297 students

HEERF II is less restricting in student eligibility than HEERF I (CARES) was. Students in online programs are
eligible for the awards, and students need not meet the requirements indicated in Section 484 of the HEA.
Schools are to prioritize students with exceptional financial need, and as a way to determine so, eligibility
for the Pell grant can be used to determine need. Students must be currently enrolled in spring 2021 and
be matriculated in degree programs.
Implementation Plan
1. Identify degree students enrolled in Spring 2021: In order to identify those students who
are eligible for the HEERF II, we first ran a report to find students who were registered for
the spring 2021 semester. From this list, we filtered out students enrolled in certificate
programs. This group thus includes all students who are enrolled in degree programs for
spring 2021 term. Students whose enrollment dropped to 0 had to be removed, even if
they had started the semester.

2. Confirm 2020-2021 FAFSA completion. As the total of potentially eligible students is much
larger than the group for CARES (with the inclusion of online students), the base awards
will be smaller.
a. Exclude students who are not Pell-eligible: In following the guidance of prioritizing
those with need, we decided anyone whose EFC is over 5846 would not be included
(this is the highest EFC for which a full-time student can be eligible for the Pell grant
and by not only looking at those with Pell grants, we are able to include graduate
students).

3. The total amount allotted for CUNY SPS was $256,589. Having been advised that
DACA/Dreamers, international students, etc. are eligible for the funds, those with a
citizenship/immigration status checklist still as initiated were counted into the formula for
the base amounts which brings the total to be spent $256,544. This leaves a remaining $45
unallocated. Using the random function in excel, the $45 was assigned to a student as an
additional amount.

4. Exclude MSI recipients to maximize the award amounts: Having received our CARES MSI
   allotment at the same time, it was decided that those eligible to receive the MSI funds be
   filtered out from our HEERF II list (to reduce the duplication of emergency awards and
   maximize award amounts).

    EFC range     Base amount
    0             226
    1-2500        175
    2,501-5,846   126
5. Posting awards and notification to students: The final list of eligible students was
   compiled into a spreadsheet to be added onto our ticket for the external award process.
   The ticket was opened on May 17th and the awards were posted on May 19th. With the
   exception of 4 records, all the students (1293) had the awards posted and then authorized
   on May 20th. One of the 4 records was updated on May 19th to allow for the posting of the
   award, but the remaining 3 require further review by CUNY Central. An email to students
   whose records reflect an authorized grant will be sent an email explaining the funds on
   May 20th. Refunds should be issued Friday, May 28th following the disbursement and
   refund calendar (wherein disbursements only occur on Mondays and refunds are issued on
   Fridays).

                                            14

Guttman Community College - - 04210100

Guttman plans to award the Fed CRRSAA Discretionary Grant using the following methodology:
 Guttman has received $16,463 of HEERF II CRRSSA discretionary funding to award student
grants.
 The grants will be distributed using CUNYfirst - Campus Solutions item type # 981000000250 -
Fed CRRSAA Discretionary Grant.
 Guttman will identify students registered for Spring 2021 Session 2.
 Guttman’s strategy is to aim at alleviating students’ financial hardship by providing this grant as
a direct payment to the student.
 Priority will be given to students who did not initially receive a CRRSAA student grant during the
Spring 2021 term.
 Students will be notified of the grant via email.

Selection Criteria
Guttman will use the following criteria to identify students who:
 are currently enrolled in Spring 2021 Session 2 and not withdrawn
 were not previously awarded a CRRSAA student grant for the Spring 2021 term
 applied for financial assistance via federal, state (including NYS Dream Act Application), or
emergency grants

Based on the selection criteria listed above, Guttman has identified its potential eligible population
for the grant. The $16,463 allotment will be evenly divided among the potential candidates with an
estimated student grant amount just under $500 per student.

Student Communication

Dear,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been awarded a grant through the Federal Coronavirus
Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA).
CUNY received these funds from the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance to students
in an effort to alleviate financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grant has been applied to your account. You do not need to do anything to receive the
Federal CRRSAA Grant.
To see the amount of your grant, please log into your CUNYfirst Student Center and click on “View
Financial Aid.” You can expect to receive a refund either by mail or direct deposit by [insert date]
based on the payment method you have selected on CUNYfirst. For information on direct deposit,
please visit the CUNY website.
Feel free to continue to keep abreast of Financial Aid developments by visiting
https://www.cuny.edu/cuny-continuity/cuny-continuity-for-students/#financia-aid.

If you have not done so already, I encourage you to contact your academic advisor
(advising@guttman.cuny.edu) to setup an appointment to discuss your future enrollment plans for
Fall 2021.
On behalf of Guttman Community College, I wish you and your family good health and safety in
these increasingly challenging times.
Sincerely,
Cristina Ortiz-Harvey
Director, Office of Financial Aid
Guttman Community College
financial.aid@guttman.cuny.edu

                                                16

Hostos CC - - 00861100

                         17

Hunter College - - 00268900

The College identified the eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary Grant based on
an eligible students Spring 2021 Financial aid term with enrollment who has not withdrawn. The
students with official EFC were prioritized based on the universities projected awarding criteria.

Students without an official EFC as a result of a ISIR rejection, no FAFSA on File, DACA,
and undocumented was also awarded based on utilization of the recommended projected awarding
criteria and based on the base rate of full-time or part-time enrollment.

As part of our award methodology we acknowledge and understand that the discretionary resources will
be issued as direct payments to students impacted as a result of COVID 19.

The CRSAA Discretionary Grant awarding methodology is listed below.

1. Pell Grant award amount based on EFC (or potentially eligible) or

2. Financial aid load (enrollment status)

3. Citizen, permanent resident, legal non-citizen status, or non-citizen.

1. We awarded students using the defined EFC bracket for FAFSA filers based on the available
discretionary allocation of $367,091.00.

Base rate of $380 full time and 1/2 base rate of $190.

The EFC brackets are as follows:

EFC would qualify the student for 0.1-24% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 25%

EFC would qualify the student for 25-49% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 50%

EFC would qualify the student for 50-74% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 75%

EFC would qualify the student for 75-99% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 100%

EFC would qualify the student for the Pell Max: Base Rate + 125%

EFC would qualify the student for the Pell Max: Base Rate + 150%

The awards ranged from as low as $190 to $950.

2. Non-FAFSA filers (including DACA and undocumented) received a standard base rate for full-time
enrollment of $380 or part-time enrollment of $190.

   1. Students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no FAFSA on File, DACA, and
      undocumented was also awarded based on utilization of the recommended projected awarding
      EFC criteria listed above and based on the base rate for full-time $380 or part-time enrollment
      of $190.
   2. There were several concerns regarding having the DACA and undocumented students complete
      an application based on concerns related to their non-citizen status.

We unilaterally awarded non-FAFSA filers which includes DACA and undocumented based on the base
rate of $380 for full-time enrollment and 1/2 base rate of $190 for students attending part-time.

Awarding was only considered after all FAFSA filers who did not receive the original CRRSAA
allocation was prioritized.

1127 total students were selected to be awarded for the Spring 2021 term.

                                                  19

John Jay College - - 00269300
John Jay College has $334,662 of Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental
Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) discretionary funds to award and disburse as financial aid grants
directly to students.
The college identified the eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary Grant
based on:

1. Undergraduate and Graduate students with a Spring 2021 Financial aid term with enrollment
who have not withdrawn.

2. Undergraduate and Graduate students with an official EFC or Undergraduate students with a
certification code 1 on the HESC comprehensive student status file (regardless of EFC or
FAFSA filing Status) were prioritized with a fixed amount of $145.10 for full time enrollment
and a fixed amount of $73.80 for less than full time enrollment.

3. Undergraduate and Graduate students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR
rejection, no FAFSA on file, DACA, and undocumented who also do not have a certification
code 1 on the HESC comprehensive student status file were also awarded based on a fixed
amount of $145.10 for full time enrollment and a fixed amount of $73.80 for less than full time
enrollment.
As part of our awarding methodology, we acknowledge and understand that the discretionary
resources will be issued as direct payments to students impacted as a result of COVID 19.

The CRRSAA Discretionary Grant awarding methodology is listed below.

1. Fixed rate of $145.10 for full time enrollment and $73.80 for less than full time enrollment
was used to award undergraduate and graduate students with an official EFC or
undergraduate students without an official EFC or no FAFSA who have a certification
code 1 on the HESC comprehensive student status file.
2. Undergraduate and graduate students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR
rejection, no FAFSA on File, DACA, international student as identified by the CUNYfirst
ISS student group and undocumented who also do not have a certification code 1 on the
HESC comprehensive student status file were also awarded a fixed amount of $145.10 for
full time enrollment and a fixed amount of $73.80 for less than full time enrollment.
3. Financial aid load (enrollment status).
4. Citizen, permanent resident, legal non-citizen status, or non-citizen.

Awarding was only considered after all FAFSA filers who did not receive the original
CRRSAA allocation was prioritized.

Kingsborough CC - - 00269400
                                Discretionary CRRSAA Fund Proposal

                                             Criteria #1

   1. Use query CU_FA_CRRSAA_DISC_SELECT

           a. Active financial aid term with enrollment who has not been term withdrawn have a
              pending, adjusted or completed R2T4 worksheet

           b. Have not received CRRSAA fund

           c. CUNY Start and CLIP students

           d. Dreamers/Jose Peralta Dream Act population
           e. F/T students – $315

           f.   P/T students – $175

   2. International Students – Application was created on Dynamic Forms and will be awarded
      manually as we receive application
           a. F/T students – $315

           b. P/T students – $175
   3. Additional Group
           a. Students that was awarded Fed CRRSAA Discretionary Grant
           b. Filed 2021-2022 FAFSA

           c. F/T students amounts was increased from $315 to $440

           d. P/T students amounts was increased from $175 to $300

*Students may receive less than the established fixed rate award due to the reconciliation of
available funds.

                                                 21

LaGuardia Community College - - 01005100

CRRSAA Discretionary Fund (981000000250) $234,936.00
      Use query CU_FA_CRRSAA_DISC_SELECT
           o All students who are currently enrolled and have not withdrawn (including
               CUNY Start, CLIP, and Dreamers)
           o Have not received CRRSAA funding
      International Students
           o Will be required to complete a Needs Form
           o Awards range between $100 - $460

                                                22

The Law School - - 03191300

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II), authorized by the
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA),
was signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020, to assist students with emergency financial aid
grants.
What are the eligibility criteria at CUNY School of Law for the HEERF II
CRRSAA Emergency Student Grant?
 Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program.
 Currently enrolled in school.
 Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizens.
 As mandated by the U.S. Department of Education, priority is to students with
exceptional needs.

Students can use these grants toward educational costs and other emergency costs
that arise due to the coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including
mental health care), or child care.
The total amount of funds received is $70,998.
Student Support
The law school did not have an application process for the receipt of the grant. We
disbursed $68,508 in total allocation for direct student support to all enrolled students
based on financial aid data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
CUNY School of Law used a distribution process centered on need, enrollment status
(full-time or part-time), and claimed dependents.
Eligible recipients received, at a minimum, a base grant amount. This base amount
varied and increased based on need using the Estimated Family Contribution
calculation and reported dependents from their FAFSA and spring 2021 enrollment
status. We ensured that the funds were equitable according to federal guidelines and
confirmed that the grant did not affect students' aid during the spring semester.
The Total Number of Students Who Have Received HEERF II CRRSAA Funds
We gave 465 students funds using CUNY Methodology to calculate the awards for a
sum of $68,508, which left us a balance of $2,490. The award amounts range between
$48 to $216. According to federal guidelines, the HEERF II CRRSAA grants were paid
directly to students even if they still had unpaid charges (tuition, fees, etc.) with the law
school.
Once the student has received the funds, the student may choose to use the funds to
pay any educationally related expenses, including paying any existing university
charges.

Regardless of methodology, no award exceeded the equivalent amount of a maximum
Federal Pell Grant for the 2020-21 award year. Please note that CUNY School does not
award Federal Pell Grants as a graduate professional school.
Our student body received an email communication through the university CUNYfirst
system on the receipt of the award. The money bypassed any law school charges and
was forwarded on in the form of an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) according to
student authorized directive or the form of a mailed paper check to the student's local
address of record. In no circumstance will recipients of this grant have to return any
portion of the funds.
International and Undocumented Students Eligibility
The Department of Education issued guidance in early May 2021 that allowed
international and undocumented students to received HEERF II CRRSAA funds. The
law school will review the policy and award students accordingly.

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Lehman College - - 00702200

Lehman College - CRSSA Discretionary Funds Spending/Disbursement Plan
Submitted for approval by Vera Senese, Director of Financial Aid on 08/27/21

Lehman College has $224,913 of Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations
Act (CRRSAA) discretionary funds which it would like to award and disburse as financial aid
grants directly to 154 students.

1. The College identified the eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary
Grant based on enrollment in a degree granting program in the Spring 2021 semester
(and who had not withdrawn). As part of our awarding methodology, we acknowledge
and understand that the discretionary resources will be issued as direct payments to
students impacted as a result of COVID 19.

2. Recipients were selected from students who met the following criteria:
a. Received CRSSA funds in the Spring 2021 semester AND
b. Had established themselves as needy students by completing an Application for
Emergency Funds at Lehman through the Office of Student Affairs (84 students).
c. OR had established themselves as needy students by completing a Request for
Scholarships Application through the Office of Academic Testing, Scholarships &
Awards (30 students).
d. OR lost their Excelsior Scholarship due to not meeting the credit accumulation
requirement (28 students).
e. OR they were identified by the Registrar’s Office as potential DACA students -
they have no SSN on file and received TAP for Spring 2021 (12 students).

The breakdown by EFC is as follows:

EFC # of Students Award Amount Total
N/A (DACA) 12 $2000 $ 24,000
$ 0 85 $1850 $157,250
$1 – 9999 38 $1025 $ 38,950
$10,000+ 19 $ 250* $ 4,713
TOTAL 154 $224,913

*One student with highest EFC received $213

Medgar Evers College - - 01009700

HEERF II Student Discretionary Grant Awarding Structure — Medgar Evers College

Medgar Evers College with award this grant using The CUNY methodology, with one exception which is
to include the Undocumented student. Students with established need via the FAFSA will be
automatically awarded. Undocumented students will receive a communication with an application to
apply for the award. The application will be reviewed by a team, if approved, students can be awarded
up to $1500.00 based on extraneous circumstances.

We have a total of $117,733 in HEERF II Student Discretionary Grant, which will be awarded in two
phases.

First Phase

Fifty-two students are potentially eligible to automatically receive the HEERF II Student Emergency
Discretionary Grant based on established need via the FAFSA. The total allocation for this set of student
is $62,643.

Second Phase

The remaining $54,090 will be awarded to students without FAFSA based on financial need via an
application process.

file:///C:/Users/CUNY/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/PDHT2WRU/CO
VID-19_CARES_Relief_Application_Summer_2021(1).pdf

Base Rate

There is a fixed dollar amount that every eligible student attending Spring 2021 will receive. This
includes full-time and part-time students in credit-bearing programs, as well as pre-matriculated eligible
students in the CLIP and the CUNYSTART programs. Part-time students will receive half of the base rate
allocated to full-time students. CLIP and CUNYSTART students who have not submitted a FAFSA and are
deemed eligible will receive the base rate for non-full-time students).

The Pell amount the student is eligible for, based on their Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), is
compared to the maximum Pell Grant term award amount for 20-21 ($3,172.50) to determine the
percentage of Pell ranges, and which category the student falls into for the award amount calculation.
This amount is then modified if the student is less than full-time and/or has dependents.

To determine eligibility, CUNY took count of students awarded as of June 7, 2021 with the Pell maximum
award amount in Spring 2021, then counts of students whose award amounts are between 75-99% of
the maximum award amount, counts of students whose award amounts are 50-74% of the maximum
award amount, etc. Non-Pell eligible students who submitted a FAFSA (primarily graduate students)
were slotted into the appropriate brackets based on their EFCs. Students with incomes that are high
enough that they would not qualify for a Pell grant will get the base rate but would not get a
supplement based on the EFC.

Selection Criteria

Based on guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, students must be U.S. citizens or permanent
residents, and the grants must be prioritized to students with exceptional need, such as students who
receive Pell Grants.

 Pell Grant award amount based on EFC (or potentially eligible)

 Dependency status

 Dependents claimed by student

 Financial aid load (enrollment status)

 Institution in attendance

 Citizen, permanent resident or legal non-citizen status

EFC Brackets

Above the base rate, and to prioritize students with exceptional need, there are income brackets based
on the effective family contribution (EFC) amounts determined by financial aid. Students with an EFC
that would qualify them for a Pell grant will receive a supplemental amount above the base rate.
Students in each successive bracket will receive an additional sum equal to 25% of their base rate. The
EFC brackets are as follows:

 EFC would qualify the student for 0.1-24% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 25%

 EFC would qualify the student for 25-49% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 50%

 EFC would qualify the student for 50-74% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 75%

 EFC would qualify the student for 75-99% of the Pell Max: Base Rate + 100%

 EFC would qualify the student for the Pell Max: Base Rate + 125%

These EFC brackets were determined by taking the count of students awarded with the Pell maximum
award amount in Spring 2021, then counts of students whose award amounts are between 75-99% of
the maximum award amount, counts of students whose award amounts are 50-74% of the maximum
award amount, etc. Non-Pell eligible students who submitted a FAFSA (primarily graduate students)
were slotted into the appropriate brackets based on their EFCs. Students with incomes that are high
enough that they would not qualify for a Pell grant will get the base rate but would not get a
supplement based on the EFC.

Financially Independent Students with Dependents: Independent students with dependents get an
additional amount equal to 25% of the base rate. Therefore, a student whose EFC puts them in the 0-
24% Pell bracket would get the Base Rate + 50% (i.e. they would move up to the next bracket).

Committee Members

Dean Alexis McLean
Mr. Peter Holoman
Ms. Judy Morgan

NYC College of Technology - - 00269600

                         NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
             METHODOLGY FOR AWARDING CRRSAA DISCRETIONARY FUNDS

We will award the CRRSAA Discretionary Funds by using CUNY’s established methodology and by
giving priority to students with the highest need. We will reserve a portion of the funds for DACA,
international students, or students who complete the CRRSAA Application (posted on the College’s
Website) who demonstrate that they have exceptional need.

Selection:

We will identify students that were not already awarded CRRSAA Funds who are enrolled for the
applicable term (spring 2021 or summer 2021) who applied for financial assistance, federal (FAFSA), NY
State, aid or scholarships, or institutional aid. We will also identify students who were enrolled who were
previously evaluated for satisfactory academic progress and did not file for any financial assistance
(federal, state, or institutional). We excluded students who withdrew (all classes) for the selected term.

For students that did not file a FAFSA, or do not have an official EFC, their eligibility will be determined
by the base rate only.

For students who filed their FAFSA and have an official EFC, we will assess for the supplemental award
increases based on their Federal Pell eligibility percentage and whether they have children or other
dependents. We will also identify students in the CLIP and CUNYstart programs to assess their eligibility
for the supplemental award increases based on a half-time enrollment status.

                                                      28

Queens College - - 00269000

                 Queens College Methodology for CRRSSA Discretionary Funds

As part of our methodology, we want to use the 5% for the NYS Dream Act students
from Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). We identified and awarded
111 students $1,000 dollars each. In addition, as of August 5th, 2021, 32 students'
awards were increased due to the tuition balance accrued during the pandemic
between Spring 2020 and Spring 2021. Our rationale for the $1,000 awards for each
student: This student population did not receive any funding via the other two
Federal Student Relief efforts and believes this will be of great benefit and
comparable to the awards for all other students.

                                            29

Queensborough CC - - 00269700

Queensborough Community College CRRSAA Discretionary Grant Spending Plan

The City University of New York, on behalf of the campuses, had determined a centralized method for
awarding the student portion of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act
(CRRSAA) funding distributed by the federal government. The majority of the funds received were
awarded centrally during the spring 2021 semester. After the centralized process was completed, each
campus was given its remaining funds to award with their discretion.

Queensborough Community College used the guidelines created under CRRSAA, in accordance with the
City University of New York, to award and disburse discretionary funds in the form of financial aid grants
directly to students who meet the criteria.

Queensborough Community College will use the parameters set forth by the university as those
students who had been identified as being impacted by Covid-19 and awarded CRRSAA funding by the
university during the spring 2021 semester as the primary population to receive discretionary funds for
the Fall 21 semester, ranging from $100 to $500, as funds are available.

Of the aforementioned population, while the discretionary funds cannot be used to directly pay an
outstanding balance at the college, we will be focusing our attention on those students with outstanding
balances as a method by which to offer assistance after they receive their direct payment from the
college.

The college prioritized the eligible student population for the CRRSAA Discretionary Grant based on:

        1) Enrollment in FALL 2021 semester;

        2) Completion of a FASFA demonstrating need as defined by an Official Expected Family
        Contribution (EFC);

The college also considered:

        1) Students without an official EFC as a result of an ISIR rejection, no FAFSA on file, DACA, and
           undocumented;
        2) Students who did not receive a CRRSAA award during the Spring 21 semester.

                                                    30

York College - - 00475900

As part of our methodology, we identified the eligible students for the 5% discretionary Coronavirus
Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) ACT using query
CU_FA_CRRSSA_DISC_SELECT ($121,527). We prioritized students who:

- Are registered for Fall 2021 who have not withdrawn or have a pending R2T4 worksheet

- Submitted a FAFSA demonstrating financial need based upon their official Expected Family
Contribution (EFC)

- All others which include a rejected EFC, DACA and undocumented students who do not have a
certification code 1 on the HESC comprehensive file*

We targeted students who meet the requirements and are registered for the Fall 2021 semester,
awarding full time students $500 and awarding part time students $250. All funds will be issued directly
to students to cover COVID-19 related expenses. Our selection is based upon the guidance and
communications we received from Central thus far regarding CRRSAA.

*Awarding was only considered after all FAFSA filers who did not receive the original CRRSAA allocation
were prioritized.

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