Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Reporting

Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

1. School Acknowledgement:

Las Positas College acknowledges that we signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement and intend to distribute 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

2. Funds Available to Students:

Las Positas College received $1,437,745 for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

3. Funds Distributed to Students:

As of June 11, 2020, $1,109,250 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants has been distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of June 30, 2020, $1,164,000 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants has been distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of August 11, 2020, $1,263,000 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants has been distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of October 29, 2020, $1,329,750 of Emergency Financial Aid Grants has been distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

4. Eligible Students:

The estimated total number of students eligible to participate in the program under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) was 7,000.

5. Number of Students Who Received Funding:

As of May 26, 2020, 1480 students have received an emergency grant valued at $750 each under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of June 30, 2020, 1562 students have received an emergency grant valued at $750 each under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of August 11, 2020, 1694 students have received an emergency grant valued at $750 each under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

As of October 29, 2020, 1694 students have received an emergency grant valued at $750 each, and 154 students have received an emergency grant valued at $500 each under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

6. Method(s) Used to Determine Funding:

Las Positas College utilized 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data to automatically award the initial grants valued at $750 during Spring 2020. To receive an automatic award, student must have filed a 2019-20 FAFSA, met federal Title IV basic eligibility criteria, have unmet financial need based on cost of attendance less expected family contribution, those who had FAFSAs on file at the time were enrolled in 6 units as of March 16 (LPC’s frozen enrollment date), and earned some units for spring term. Students whose FAFSAs were received after March 16 must have completed 6 units in Spring to qualify for the automatic awards.

A local online LPC CARES Emergency Grant Application was available through September 15, 2020, for other students who were enrolled in Spring 2020 to apply, with the same basic eligibility criteria as the automated awards but allowing for students with no unmet financial need (based on cost of attendance less Expected Family Contribution) to be considered, and for students who may have dropped below 6 units due to Covid-19 related issues to also be considered. Those grants were also awarded at $750 per student.

Based on the current guidance by the Department of Education, CARES grants cannot be provided to students who completely withdrew, even with Covid-19 extraordinary withdrawals, or to students in a disqualified financial aid status. If that guidance changes we will gladly revise our eligibility criteria accordingly.

A revised local LPC CARES Emergency Grant Application is currently available for students enrolled in Fall 2020. To qualify, a student must have filed a 2020-2021 FAFSA with a valid EFC, met federal Title IV basic eligibility criteria, are currently enrolled into at least 6 units at Las Positas. Student must clearly indicate on the application that they have experienced one of several listed possible hardships defined by the federal government which meet the criteria to qualify for an emergency CARES Act grant for fall term.

7. Instructions/Announcements for Students:

Students who are experiencing financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic who have not filed a 2020-2021 Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should do so as soon as possible to be able to apply for a CARES Emergency Grant in addition to financial aid.

To apply for a CARES Emergency grant: log into your CLASS WEB account and click on the Elections/Student and Staff Survey on the Main Menu. The LPC CARES Emergency Grant Application will be posted for easy online completion for those students who meet the basic eligibility criteria. Students who do not meet the basic criteria will not be able to complete the application. Las Positas College will continue to award students through the CARES online application process until all CARES Emergency funds are fully awarded.