ARP: Higher Education Emergency

Relief Fund (HEERF III)

Introduction

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing $39.6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ARP funds are in addition to funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136. Emergency funds available to institutions and their students under all emergency funds total $76.2 billion. More information about ARP/HEERF III can be found here.

A section of the ARP Act provides additional funding within HEERF III to schools to use for emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the pandemic. Southside Virginia Community College received $3,289,564.00 that is dedicated to student emergency grants.

When will ARP/HEERF III be available?

Southside Virginia Community College has applied for funding from the ARP Act, and as soon as we receive that funding from the U.S. Department of Education, we will begin distributing grants to students based on financial need.

Who is eligible for ARP/HEERF III?

Eligibility for ARP/HEERF III is based on the criteria established by the Department of Education and Southside Virginia Community College. The following number of students are eligible for funds based on the additional eligibility guidelines below

July 2021 - 342 credit students
August 2021 - 97 workforce students
October 2021 - 1137 credit students
December 2021 - 155 workforce students
April 2022 - 114 workforce students
April 2022 - 991 credit students
October 2022 - 271 credit students

Each of the students above will receive emergency grants. We will use ARP emergency aid funds to provide a standard relief grant of $1,300 or $1,500 for each student who has an EFC of $0 and registered for 6 credit hours or more, based on the family income reported on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A standard relief grant of $1,000 will be provided to each student who completed a FAFSA or Workforce Program Application and is registered for coursework. The SVCC Financial Aid Office used FAFSA data to determine eligibility for credit students for this disbursement. For workforce program students, information provided on the Workforce Program Application was used to determine eligibility. Some additional details about eligibility are below.

Grants are intended to be used to assist with expenses incurred as a result of coronavirus, such as technology, food, housing, course materials, health care, and child care. SVCC is distributing funds to students who meet the following criteria in this disbursement:

Student has submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for Aid Year 2021-2022 or has submitted a Workforce Program application, is eligible for federal student aid and has resolved all requirements with the financial aid office for the spring semester.
Actively enrolled for credit or a workforce program at the time of data retrieval
Dual enrollment students and students with tuition paid by a third party, such as an employer, are not eligible for this emergency aid disbursement
Students may not be incarcerated.

What is the SVCC ARP/HEERF III Relief Grant?

The ARP Act directed colleges to prioritize students whose family income is in the low- to low-middle income categories, and SVCC wants to provide economic relief quickly to students who may have experienced additional expenses and/or a loss of income in spring semester due to COVID-19. We have used ARP/HEERF III emergency aid funds to provide a standard relief grant of $1,500 per student who have an EFC of $0 and are registered for 6 credit hours or more, based on the family income reported on your FAFSA or your Workforce Program and the criteria above at the time of data retrieval. A standard relief grant of $1,000 was provided to each student who completed a FAFSA or Workforce Program Application and is registered for coursework and based on the criteria above at the time of data retrieval.

If you have yet to experience financial stress due to COVID-19, these funds can help with unanticipated expenses or income loss that may occur throughout the semester and into future semesters.

Any funds not exhausted based on fall 2021 and spring 2022 semester student registrations will be disbursed to students during future semesters with potentially lower EFC limits.

Why didn’t I receive the SVCC CRRSAA Relief Grant?

Please review the eligibility criteria above. If you believe, based on the criteria above, that you should have qualified and did not receive funds, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@southside.edu or at 434.949.1094

Do I need to report financial aid or grants on my federal tax return?

Each financial award you receive from the federal government and other sources will have separate and unique tax consequences for your federal tax return. Visit the https://www.irs.gov/IRS website for assistance.