Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Center for Workforce Development Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
The Federal Government established the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act (CARES) on March 27, 2020. Supplemental HEERF Funds were later authorized through the 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) and the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP). Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Center for Workforce Development has been allocated HEERF funding to provide emergency grants to students experiencing financial hardship specifically due to the disruption of campus operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or for expenses related to any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus.
Federal Reporting
As a recipient of HEERF emergency student grant funding, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Center for Workforce Development is required to report certain elements on a quarterly basis:
Federal Disclosure Reporting Chart
Below is the combined quarterly reporting summary for the HEERF Student Aid Funds made available through CARES, CRRSSA, and the ARP at Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES Center for Workforce Development.
| Student Aid Funds Required Federal Disclosures |
| Report Period | HEERF Reporting Elements |
| Total amount of HEERF funds the institution will receive or has received (combined) | Total amount of Emergency Grants distributed to students (quarterly only) | Total number of students who received an Emergency Grant (quarterly only) |
| Quarterly Report for June 30, 2020 | $ 500,000.00 | $ 46,043.00 | 27 |
| Quarterly Report for Sept 30, 2020 | $ 500,000.00 | $ 1,705.00 | 1 |
| Quarterly Report for Dec 31, 2020 | $ 500,000.00 | $ - | 0 |
| Quarterly Report for March 31, 2021 | $ 697,197.00 | $ - | 0 |
| Quarterly Report for June 30, 2021 | ;$ 1,043,399.00 | $46,043.00 | 57 |
| Quarterly Report for Sept 30, 2021 | $ 1,043,399.00 | $ - | 0 |
| Quarterly Report for Dec 31, 2021 | $ 1,043,399.00 | $105,222.00 | 179 |
| Quarterly Report for Mar 31, 2022 | $ 1,043,399.00 | $79,770.00
| 213 |
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| Voluntary Disclosures |
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| Report Period | Total cumulative amount of Emergency Grants distributed to students | Total cumulative number of students who received an Emergency Grant (student count is duplicative) |
| Quarterly Report for June 30, 2020 | $ 46,043 | 27 |
| Quarterly Report for Sept 30, 2020 | $ 47,748 | 28 |
| Quarterly Report for Dec 31, 2020 | $ 47,748 | 28 |
| Quarterly Report for March 31, 2021 | $ 47,748 | 28 |
| Quarterly Report for June 30, 2021 | $ 93,791 | 85 |
| Quarterly Report for Sept 30, 2021 | $ 93,791 | 85 |
| Quarterly Report for Dec 31, 2021 | $ 199,013 | 264 |
| Quarterly Report for Mar 31, 2022 | $ 278,783 | 477 |
Click the HEERF Institutional Report links below to view all required institutional reporting elements.
Additional Details:
Students will be notified via e-mail, mail, and by phone with the emergency grant amount. Grants will not be applied toward any current balance owed on a student’s account.
What is the CARES Act?
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. A section of this package is dedicated to higher education institutions. Monroe-2 BOCES, Center for Workforce Development received a total of $92,085 in aid, of which $46,043 will go directly to support students through emergency grants. These grants are intended to provide economic relief, quickly, to students who may have incurred additional expenses in the spring 2020 semester due to COVID-19 disruption of campus operations. On May 5, 2020 Monroe-2 BOCES, Center for Workforce Development signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement with the assurance that the school 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. As of the latest report to the ED, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants available to students is $46,043 and we estimate that 27 students were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. To date the Center for Workforce Development has distributed $47,748 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 28 students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
What is the CRRSAA Act?
Similar to the CARES act, The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The legislation authorized $21.2 billion in funding for higher education institutions to sustain educational programs and support students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Allocations are based on a formula that accounts for the proportion of Federal Pell Grant recipients at the institution. Monroe-2 BOCES, Center for Workforce Development received a total of $197,197, of which $46,043 will go directly to support students through emergency grants. As of the latest report to the ED, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants available to students under CRRSAA is $46,043 and we estimate that 57 students were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA Act. To date the Center for Workforce Development has distributed $46,043 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 57 students under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA Act.
What is the American Rescue Plan?
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed on June 25, 2021, and announced additional funding that provides a total of $100 million for the EPA to address health outcome disparities from pollution and the COVID-19 pandemic. Monroe-2 BOCES, Center for Workforce Development received a total of $346,202, of which $173,101 will go directly to support students through emergency grants. As of the latest report to the ED, the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants available to students is $173,101 and we estimate that nearly 400 students were eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 2003(a)(1) of the American Rescue Plan. To date the Center for Workforce Development has distributed $184,992 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 392 students under Section 2003(a)(1) of the American Rescue Plan.
Who is eligible for CARES/CRRSAA Funds
Job Training students who completed a 2019/2020 FAFSA application received by the Center for Workforce Development before March 13, 2020, are eligible for this grant.
Who is eligible for ARP
CWD allocated funds to Job Training students in Pell eligible programs, Job Training students in other programs, and Literacy students who completed 48 hours or more of programming between 9/1/20 - 9/1/21.
What kind of expenses can I use the emergency grant for?
The emergency grants are meant to help students pay expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, child-care, moving costs or other expenses related to the disruption of campus operations.
When will funds be available?
Grants will be disbursed beginning in June 2020. Students will be notified via email from the Financial Aid Office of the amount and other pertinent information.
Do I have to pay this back?
No. Any funds a student receives from the CARES Act will not need to be repaid.
Does this count against my financial aid package?
No. Emergency grants from the CARES Act is not considered student financial aid under federal statute or Department of Education regulations. As such, these funds will not impact your eligibility for traditional financial aid (e.g. grants, scholarships, loans).
Is this funding considered taxable income?
No. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that emergency grants under the CARES/CRRSAA/ARP Act(s) are qualified disaster relief payments under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code and are not considered taxable income.
Will there be additional funding in the future?
At this point, we are only aware of the existing allocation outlined above. We will continue to monitor these funds and any future federal assistance that may benefit Center for Workforce Development students.