CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

Public Disclosure Information

Big Bend Community College certifies that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement, and assures that the institution has used and will continue 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.

The total amount distributed quarterly is:

Quarterly Report	Total Funds Received for Emergency Financial Aid Grants	Estimated Number of Students Eligible for Emergency Financial Aid Grants	Total Amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants Distributed for the Quarter	Total Number of Students Who Received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant for the Quarter
03/31/2021	$1,473,838.00	2178	$583,562.04	382
06/30/2021	$4,028,448.00	2158	$175,750.63	76
09/30/2021	$4,028,448.00	2506	$41,463.60	21
12/31/2021	$4,028,448.00	2130	$421,120.94	139
03/31/2022	$4,028,448.00	1823	$500,670.90	177
06/30/2022	$5,824,460.00		$433,592.00	149
09/30/2022	$5,824,460.00		$372,918.00	111
12/31/2022	$5,824,460.00		$467,239.00	155
3/31/2023	$5.307.079.00		$611,982.58	204

Date	Eligible	Awarded	Amount Distributed
May 20, 2020	2920	22	$22,783.00
June 21, 2020	2930	74	$75,290.00
July 20, 2020	2108	94	$93,642.00
September 30, 2020	2454	113	$110,971.00
December 31, 2020	2626	123	$137,540.00

Big Bend Community College developed an application process for students interested in receiving a CARES Act grant. Students provided their student identification number, and the college’s financial aid staff members determined their eligibility using existing college database information and ensured that the requirements outlined by the Department of Education were met.

Amounts awarded were determined by staff based on several criteria, including the applicant’s dollar amount requested, the availability of other funding for the request, and the information provided by the student that showed the request was due to campus disruption related to the coronavirus.

The college also created a website with information about the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Funds, which includes FAQ’s. An email with this same information was sent to all registered students and to the campus community.

Website information includes eligibility criteria, a statement that funding is based on financial hardship related to the campus closing and moving classes and services to a remote or online system, the maximum amount a student may receive, and a link to the application. Additionally, students are told that the college does not apply the funds to any account balance or provide directions on how the students must spend the funds. The students are also provided with information on how to contact staff if they have additional questions.