Certification and Agreement:
As a recipient of HEERF monies under the CARES Act, the University automatically was allocated additional funds through the HEERF supplemental appropriations under the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
Amount of Funds:
ARP: The University at Albany was allocated an additional $22,160,687.00 for student emergency grants with the remainder of the total CRRSAA HEERF allocation of $22,092,414.00 provided as institutional aid.
Amount Distributed:
Please consult the distribution reports on the HEERF page.
Additional Federal Disclosure Information for HEERF III student emergency grants
Estimated Total Number of Eligible Students:
Of the total number of Fall 2021 enrolled students, 8,322 students (7,637 full-time and 685 part-time students) were determined to have met the U.S. Department of Education priority of exceptional need as determined by the State University of New York (SUNY) methodology.
Total Number of Students Who Have Received Assistance:
Please consult the distribution reports on the HEERF page.
Methodology:
For the ARP block grant awards, the University at Albany followed the awarding methodology provided by SUNY administration based on a student’s FAFSA. SUNY established a formula for the calculation of base grants to be distributed to students whose EFC showed them to fulfill the federal requirement of prioritizing students with exceptional need.
Base grants:
The chart below provides the specific information for the base grant dollar amounts distributed by the University based on Expected Family Contribution (EFC) range as well as full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) status.
Student Award Chart: Award Amount per EFC Range and FT/PT Status
| Type of Student Award | EFC Range 0 - 2,923 | EFC Range 2,924 - 5,846 | EFC Range 5,847 - 8,769 | EFC Range 8,770 - 11,692 | EFC Range 11,692 - 14,615 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time (FT) Student Awards | $2,688.75 | $2,390.00 | $2,091.25 | $1,792.50 | $1,493.75 |
| Part-time (PT) Student Awards | $2,091.25 | $1,792.50 | $1,493.75 | $1,195.00 | $896.25 |
Discretionary funds grants:
SUNY permitted campuses to use a small amount (20% or less) of the total ARP HEERF allocation for student grant funds to distribute on a discretionary basis to students with exceptional need. The University has not yet begun to distribute these funds. Further information will be forthcoming.
Instructions, Directions and Guidance for Students:
Please note that if you or your family have experienced, or are experiencing, an extenuating financial situation not reflected in your FAFSA, you may qualify for a Special Circumstances (professional judgement) Review of your financial aid eligibility.
Visit the Office of Financial Aid's Appeal for Special Circumstances or a Dependency Override webpage for additional information.
Review the specific parameters carefully before completing the request to ensure that your circumstances meet the benchmarks for a Special Circumstances Review. If you are eligible to file the FAFSA but have not done so, the University strongly encourages you to complete it so that your eligibility for financial aid can be assessed.
The following communications have been sent to student identified by the University as eligible to receive ARP block grants:
Email Sent to Eligible Students
Dear [Student Name],
The federal government has provided institutions of higher education with student emergency financial assistance grants for undergraduate and graduate students whose economic situation has been affected by the coronavirus. Students may receive student emergency grants for expenses related to any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Eligible expenses include tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or childcare.
As per federal guidelines, students may apply emergency assistance grants directly to an outstanding account balance owed to the University at Albany, should you have one; or students may choose to receive a direct payment. Visit E-Pay to determine if you have an outstanding balance for fall 2021.
The University has deemed you eligible to receive emergency assistance grants. Please complete this form to make your selection of how you would like your funds applied.
Should you not respond to this form within 10 days, your funds will be disbursed directly to your E-Refund account.
Students who do not have an E-Refund account are encouraged to create one on E-Pay. You will need your banking routing and account numbers to set up your E-Refund account. An E-Refund will significantly speed up processing of the emergency funds. Without an E-refund account, a check will be mailed to your permanent address. It may take several weeks for you to receive a check.
Please review the complete guidelines for student emergency assistance grants. For questions or to opt out, please email [email protected].
Sincerely,
The Office of Financial Aid
Content of the Student Authorization Form
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, student emergency assistance grants have been made available through the ARP: American Rescue Plan. Students may receive emergency grants for expenses related to any component of the student's cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus. Eligible expenses include tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care), or childcare. The University has deemed you eligible to receive an emergency assistance grant in the amount of [amount]. This assistance is not repaid to the federal government and does not impact your financial aid award.
Please review the complete ARP: American Rescue Plan for information regarding student emergency funds. We encourage students to notify the Office of Financial Aid should you elect to decline the assistance.
You may have the University directly apply your funds to pay an outstanding balance.
As per federal guidelines, students have the option to apply student emergency grants to an outstanding account balance at the University, should you have one. Visit E-Pay to determine if you have an outstanding balance for Fall 2021.
Please select one of the options below within 10 days of receipt of this notice:
-
I authorize the University at Albany to directly apply my student emergency grant to my outstanding Fall 2021 balance. If the assistance is greater than my outstanding balance, I will receive the remaining funds in the form of an electronic refund via my E-Refund account.
-
I would like to receive the direct payment from the student emergency grant. I understand that these funds will be disbursed directly to me in the form of an electronic refund via my E-Refund account.
Should you not respond within 10 days of this communication, your grant will be disbursed directly to your E-Refund account.
Students who do not have an E-Refund account are encouraged to create one on E-Pay. You will need your banking routing and account numbers to set up your E-Refund account. An E-Refund will significantly speed up processing of the emergency funds. Without an E-refund account, a check will be mailed to your permanent address. It may take several weeks for you to receive a check.