New U.S. aid holds $58M for collegians

Some schools hold up notices, review rules

Colleges and universities in the state are getting more than $191 million in a second round of federal emergency coronavirus relief funds, including about $58 million for direct payments to students, Maria Markham, director of the Division of Higher Education, said at a board meeting Friday.

The funds are part of a federal aid package approved in December.

Markham told members of the Higher Education Coordinating Board in a meeting held virtually that the aid will help institutions in many ways as they deal with the effects of the pandemic.

Some colleges have begun to notify students about this new aid heading their way, but others are citing a need to review guidelines for how to distribute the grants.

The December aid followed an earlier federal package known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which also provided funds to college students and higher-education institutions.

Markham told board members that the new funding differs from the earlier aid in some ways.

“CARES [Act] funds were very limited in what institutions could use those for,” Markham said. “It had to be something that was an obvious and direct result of the pandemic.”

The latest round “gives us a lot more latitude” for such uses as filling “holes in payroll” and “to address things where our budgets have re

ceived a shortfall because of reduced enrollment” and other reductions in revenue, Markham said.

AID TO STUDENTS

As with the first federal measure, the latest aid for higher education includes direct funds for students.

By late November, the state’s largest public universities had stated that nearly all of the direct aid to students from the CARES Act had been given out. Four schools alone — the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville; Arkansas State University; the University of Central Arkansas; and Arkansas Tech University — disbursed about $20.7 million to students.

Some colleges this month notified students about this new aid.

But in response to questions from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, other schools said they need more time to ensure they follow guidelines correctly.

Among schools moving quickly on the student aid, the University of Central Arkansas plans to hand out the grants by Feb. 9, said Amanda Hoelzeman, a spokeswoman for the campus.

UCA has been awarded about $4.8 million for this latest round of student emergency grants.

Hoelzeman said emails were sent Thursday to eligible students. She provided an example of such an email that stated “you have been identified as a recipient of an emergency grant in the amount of $570.” Students are to receive the funds by check or direct deposit.

According to Hoelzeman, UCA earlier emailed students with the eligibility criteria, which states that they “must be U.S. citizens or noncitizens eligible to receive federal student aid enrolled in at least one credit hour for the spring 2021 semester no later than Monday, Jan. 25.”

WAITING

Other colleges have yet to announce when students will receive the grants, and at least some schools are wondering if eligibility criteria might change under President Joe Biden.

“The exact timetable for distributing these funds is unclear as we await further guidance and clarification from the U.S. Department of Education as to how these funds can and should be expended,” Chuck Welch, president of the Arkansas State University System, said in a statement. “We anticipate the additional information should arrive in the very near future.”

Welch referred to the change in the White House.

“With the change of administrations and a new Secretary of Education yet to be confirmed, there may be changes that refine or expand

student eligibility,” Welch said.

Last year, some educational organizations criticized the decision made under the administration of Donald Trump to exclude from eligibility students with temporary authorized status through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

Another school has emailed out notices to students.

Terisa Riley, chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, in an email Jan. 22 said students will receive varying amounts of aid depending on factors such as if they receive federal Pell grants or live in on-campus housing this spring.

UA-Fort Smith has received $2.75 million to distribute, according to the email, which stated that the university “has not yet received the funds from the federal government, so we cannot commit to the date when we will be able to disburse the funds.”

Eligible students would receive at least $300, according to the email, but could receive several hundred more.

The email from Riley also stated criteria to receive the grants that include being eligible to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students with DACA status are not eligible for federal student aid.

Another aspect of the new funding involves how to prioritize students, some college officials said.

“Arkansas Tech University is currently working to determine how that prioritization should be carried out before proceeding with the distribution of funds,” university spokesman Sam Strasner said in an email, referring to language used by the U.S. Department of Education in guidance to schools.

In a document dated Jan. 14, the U.S. Department of Education listed frequently asked questions about the student grants, which are being provided through what’s known as the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

“Unlike the CARES Act, the [new measure] requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants, in awarding financial aid grants to students. However, students do not need to be only Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants. In addition, the [measure] explicitly provides that financial aid grants to students may be provided to students exclusively enrolled in distance education,” states the document.

Mark Rushing, a spokesman for UA-Fayetteville, said the university is reviewing the guidance for distributing the grants and will prioritize students with “exceptional need.” Decisions “in the coming weeks” will be made on eligibility and awarding strategies, Rushing said.

“We don’t yet have an estimate regarding when eligible students might expect to receive awards but we will make every effort to award these funds as quickly as possible,” Rushing said in an email.