CARES Act / HEERF I Grant for Students (Spring 2020) | Williston State College

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CARES Act / HEERF I Grant for Students (Spring 2020)

CARES Act / HEERF I Grant for Students (Spring 2020)

Congress recently passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to COVID-19 pandemic. This act included funding to institutions of higher education, referred to as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), providing students with grants to offset the unexpected expenses they may have incurred as campus operations were disrupted. 

WSC will not have an application for the CARES Act Grant and is currently working on developing our campus-specific protocol in distributing funds to students. Our process is evolving and will continue to do so as we receive additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education. Not all students will be eligible to receive emergency grant funding.

Minimum Qualifications

Reminder! Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee receipt of a grant.

Receiving Funds

A recipient of the CARES Act Grant will receive an email notification shortly after the grant has been released by the Financial Aid office. CARES Act Grant amounts will be viewable on Campus Connection under the Financial Aid tile beginning Thursday, June 11th. The CARES Act Grant will be released directly to the student and will not pay any outstanding charges you may have. Refunds will begin Friday, June 12th.

We strongly encouraged students to sign up for direct deposit to prevent any delays in receiving their refund. If the student has not enrolled in direct deposit, a paper check will be mailed to the student's mailing address on file. Please make sure your mailing address is up to date in Campus Connection.

Reminder! Not all students will be eligible to receive CARES Act Grant funding.

Exclusions

  • International and undocumented students
  • Students that were selected for, but have not completed, financial aid verification.
  • Students enrolled exclusively in online courses.
    • Note: This exclusion does not pertain to students that were participating in face-to-face classes during the spring semester who were moved to an online platform in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Students who are in default on a Title IV loan, owe a balance for returned Title IV funds or have fraudulently received funds in the past.
  • Students with federal or state convictions for drug possession or sale.

HEERF Student Fund Reporting

According to Department of Education guidance, colleges that receive funding under Section 18004 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) are required to report publicly on their websites how they are distributing the funds.

WSC CARES Act Student Funds Report (05.29.20)

WSC CARES Act Student Funds Report (06.30.20)

 
WSC CARES Act Student Funds Report (10.09.20)

WSC CARES Act Student Funds Final Report (01.08.21)


 

FAQ

Learn more about the CARES Act by reviewing the WSC Federal CARES Act FAQs. As WSC continues to receive additional guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, student updates will be sent to email and posted on the website.

CARES Act Grant Questions

Stevens Hall, Student Services
wsc.financialaid@willistonstate.edu
p. 701.774.4248
f. 701.774.4211

 
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