Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

Lewis & Clark College received funding from the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) in April 2020. A portion of these funds was made available to students in the form of emergency financial aid grants for expenses related to the disruption of campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Expenditure Reporting under CARES Act Section 18004
On March 27, 2020, the federal government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act includes a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), and a portion of HEERF funds must go directly to eligible students in the form of emergency financial aid grants for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 crisis. In accordance with federal requirements, recipients must be eligible to file a FAFSA and eligible to receive federal Title IV student financial aid. HEERF also provided funds to help institutions of higher education offset increased costs due to the pandemic.

Student Portion (Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students): In response to the transition to hybrid or remote delivery of instruction and educational programs due to COVID-19, Lewis & Clark opened a central grant application portal to apply for COVID-19 relief funds. Federal CARES Act funds were made available to help Lewis & Clark students in all three schools address expenses resulting from the campus closure and the hybrid and/or remote delivery of instruction and educational programs due to COVID-19. A single application form and process served all three campuses. The federal funds have been distributed and the application is now closed. Student applications were reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis in six rounds. Within each round, students with demonstrated financial need and those who had not previously received funding were given priority. As funds were limited, we were unfortunately not able to fulfill all requests. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you need additional assistance. Federal Reporting

• Report 1: May 8, 2020

• Report 2: June 22, 2020

• Report 3: August 6, 2020

• Report 4: October 5, 2020

• Report 5: December 11, 2020 (Final)

Institutional Portion:

• Final Federal Report (period ended September 30, 2020): October 21, 2020

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. A portion of HEERFII/CRRSAA funds must be distributed to eligible students for 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 specifies that in distributing funds to students, institutions must “prioritize grants to students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell grants.” The HEERFII/CRRSAA also provided funds to help institutions of higher education offset increased costs due to the pandemic.

As required, Lewis & Clark prioritized distribution of funds to eligible students based on need. Beginning in late March 2021, and continuing through June 2021, prioritized students were invited to accept their CRRSAA funding awards by a specified deadline. Awards not accepted were made available to other qualified students. Any questions should be directed to fao@lclark.edu; please put ‘CRRSAA question” in the subject line.

• Report Q1 2021, Institutional Funds: July 6, 2021
• Report Q1 2021, Funds Distributed to Students: July 9, 2021
• Report Q2 2021, Institutional Funds: July 6, 2021
• Report Q2 2021, Funds Distributed to Students: July 9, 2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) was signed into law on March 11, 2021. The ARP included HEERF III funds to be distributed by the Department of Education to institutions of higher education, including Lewis & Clark College. Distribution of these funds, which were awarded to Lewis & Clark in May 2021, was also prioritized for students with demonstrated financial need as required. Prioritized students who were enrolled during summer 2021 were invited to accept their ARP funding by a specified deadline, and funds were distributed as reported below (Report Q3, 2021, Funds Distributed to Students). Lewis & Clark continued the process of contacting eligible students with information about how to apply for ARP funds during Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, until all funds were expended. All students were encouraged to apply for HEERF funds as soon as they receive an invitation to do so.

As always, students and families are encouraged to reach out to the Financial Aid Office (FAO) for reconsideration of a student’s financial aid award if circumstances have changed since the time of application; ARP funding may provide the opportunity to receive a financial aid adjustment due to the recent unemployment of a family member or independent student, or other eligible circumstances. Information about financial aid award revisions and responding to changing circumstances for undergraduate students is available on the FAO website. GSEC and Law students have different financial aid funding available to them; please reach out to the FAO if you are experiencing unusual or emergency related expenses.

Any additional information about funds that will be available for distribution to Lewis & Clark students will be updated here.

• Report Q3 2021, Institutional Funds: October 4, 2021
• Report Q3 2021-R1, Funds Distributed to Students: Originally posted October 4, 2021 and revised December 17, 2021
• Report Q4 2021, Institutional Funds: January 7, 2022
• Report Q4 2021, Funds Distributed to Students: January 10, 2022
• Report Q1 2022, Institutional Funds: April 1, 2022
• Report Q1 2022, Funds Distributed to Students: April 10, 2022
• Report Q2 2022, Institutional Funds and Funds Distributed to Students: July 10, 2022