Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) Distribution Policy
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Pub. L. 116-260 (Dec. 27, 2020), authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide emergency financial aid grants to institutions of higher education.
In order to comply with the CRRSAA Act, Illinois College must use $619,656 in “Student Aid Portion” funds to provide emergency financial aid grants to students which may be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.
The CRRSAA 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 Pell recipients.
Illinois College will administer these funds in accordance with its “Funding Certification and Agreement for the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CARES Act,” dated April 10, 2020, as amended by the U.S. Department of Education on January 17, 2021.
Illinois College also received $1,230,369 in "Institutional Portion" CRRSAA funding. Allowable uses under the CRRSAA for Institutional Portion awards include:
- Defraying expenses associated with coronavirus (including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll);
- Carrying out student support activities authorized by the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), that address needs related to coronavirus; and
- Making additional financial aid grants to students.
Under section 314(d)(3) of the CRRSAA, no supplemental Institutional Portion awards or new Institutional Portion awards may be used to fund contractors for the provision of pre-enrollment recruitment activities; marketing or recruitment; endowments; capital outlays associated with facilities related to athletics, sectarian instruction, or religious worship; senior administrator or executive salaries, benefits, bonuses, contracts, incentives; stock buybacks, shareholder dividends, capital distributions, and stock options; or any other cash or other benefit for a senior administrator or executive.
Recipient institutions may, but are not required to, use Institutional Portion funds to provide additional emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. If the recipient institution chooses to use funds designated for Recipient’s Institutional Costs to provide such emergency financial aid grants to students, then the funds are subject to the requirements in the “Funding Certification and Agreement for the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CARES Act,” dated April 10, 2020, as amended by the U.S. Department of Education on January 17, 2021.
In accordance with the CRRSAA Act and following the subsequent guidance published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2021, and March 22, 2021, Illinois College calculated emergency financial aid grants for eligible students for distribution on April 14, 2021. Students were determined to be eligible to receive emergency financial aid grants if they met all four of the following criteria:
- Were enrolled full-time at Illinois College for the Spring 2021 semester as of March 24, 2021.
- Filed a FAFSA for the 2020-2021, or prior academic year, and sent to Illinois College as of March 24, 2021.
- Met criteria for Title IV eligibility: Section 484 of the HEA states that Title IV eligible students must:
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program.
- Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school.
- For currently enrolled students, be making satisfactory academic progress.
- Not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans.
- Not be in default on a Title IV loan.
- File "as part of the original financial aid application process" a certification that includes a statement of educational purpose.
- Have presented a Social Security Number to the institution.
- Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen.
- Have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges.
- Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits.
- Have repaid Title IV loan amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits if obtained inadvertently.
- Have Selective Service registration verified.
- Have Social Security Number verified.
- Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations.
- Qualified for emergency financial aid grant funding according to a calculation of their Expected Family Contribution resulting from their filing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The formula Illinois College used to calculate the amount of emergency financial aid grants for eligible students is:
Illinois College distributed a total of $619,656 in CRRSAA Student Aid Portion funds and $8,844 in CRRSAA Institutional Portion funds as emergency financial aid grants to Illinois College students in April 2021.
The estimated total number of students who were eligible to receive a CRRSAA emergency financial aid grant award in April 2021: 980
The total number of students who received a CRRSAA emergency financial aid grant award in April 2021: 980
Student recipients received this information with their emergency financial aid grant award: View document
For information on Illinois College's use of CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) funding also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I) and Quarterly Report information, click here.
For information on Illinois College's use of the ARP Act (American Rescue Plan Act) funding also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III), click here.
For information on Illinois College's use of the GEER Fund (Governor's Emergency Education Relief), click here.
Updated October 10, 2021 | Updated January 10, 2022 | Updated March 1, 2022 | Updated April 10, 2022