CRRSAA and ARP Act Funding Under Sections 314(a)(1) and 2003(a)(1) – Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund – Student Grant Programs
Quarterly Report – 9/30/2021

Sponsor:  U.S. Department of Education
Award Number:  P425E201517
Award Period:  04/24/2020 thru 05/23/2022
Funding Amounts:  CRRSAA (HEERFII): $305,499; ARPA (HEERFIII): $1,170,236
Report Period: 07/1/2021 thru 09/30/2021
Report Date: 09/30/2021

Source and Purpose of Funds

The University of at Presque Isle (UMPI) received the above funding from the CRRSAA, passed by Congress and signed by the President on December 27, 2020, and from the ARP Act, passed by Congress and signed by the President on March 11, 2021, to provide additional emergency financial aid grants to eligible students for their expenses related to the disruption of our campus operations due to the ongoing pandemic.

On April 13, 2020, UMPI submitted the required Certification and Agreement to the U.S. Department of Education (U.S. DOE) committing to use these funds to provide emergency aid directly to our eligible students.

Eligibility Requirements – HEERF II
Consistent with the guidance from the U.S. DOE, eligible students include All degree seeking students currently enrolled for the spring 2021 term will be considered initially eligible. This cohort does not include Non Degree, Dual Credit, or Employees who receive a tuition waiver. Based on current guidance international students are still ineligible to receive these funds and are not included in this cohort.

Distribution Plan – HEERF II

Per federal guidance the campus intends to prioritize the awards based on need. The eligible population will be prioritized in the following manner:

• EFC from 0 to 5711 – Level One
• EFC from 5712 to 25,000 – Level Two
• EFC above 25,000 or no aid application on file – Level Three

In addition to need, the campus will also consider enrollment level when determining the final award amount.

Under this plan 853 students are eligible to receive HEERF II payments. Based on our total allocation of $333,795 and enrollment levels, the following amounts will be disbursed.

Any remaining funds would be distributed within the existing framework for emergency awards made from the original HEERF funds, with particular attention to those students who have extraordinary needs.

All distributions to student will be made via direct deposit or check. Because the IRS considers the HEERF student funds as a “qualified disaster relief payment,” they are not considered taxable income.

Eligibility Requirements – HEERF III

The majority of HEERF III funds will be distributed directly to Pell eligible students in the form of payments for both the fall 2021 and the spring 2022 semesters. These are be paid directly to the student after the drop/add period so class participation/credit hour status is finalized.

Distribution Plan – HEERF III

We will base the value of the aid payment Pell eligible students based on enrollment level each semester.

Per semester payments of:

• Full Time (12 Credits or more) – $1,500;
• ¾ Time (9-11 Credits) – $1,125;
• ½ Time (6-8 Credits) – $750;
• Less than ½ time (1-5 Credits) – $375.

Any remaining funds would be distributed within the existing framework for emergency awards made from the original HEERF funds, with particular attention to those students who have extraordinary needs.

All distributions to student will be made via direct deposit or check. Because the IRS considers the HEERF student funds as a “qualified disaster relief payment,” they are not considered taxable income.

Communications to Students

Notice of this award program will be communicated to students using the Message Center.

Below are all communications from the University of Maine System or UMPI to students related to the students concerning the emergency financial aid grants provided through the CRRSAA and APR Acts.

• University of Maine System Health Advisory Information for Students
• HEERF II Message Ctr
• HEERF II Letter to Students
• HEERF III Message Ctr
• HEERF III Letter to Students