CARES Act Department of Education Report
September 1, 2020 - Report #3
The following report has been completed in accordance with guidance issued by the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education on May 6, 2020.*
1. An acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned to the department the
Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends
to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of
the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
Pepperdine University submitted the required CARES Act Grant Certification and Agreement via grants.gov on April 23, 2020. The University will continue to comply with all guidance provided by the Department of Education and will use no less than 50 percent of award funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid grants to students.
2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
Pepperdine University received $1,810,416 in aid from the Department of Education, which represents 50 percent of funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every 45 days thereafter).
As of the date of this post, September 1, 2020, Pepperdine University has distributed $1,297,587 to students.
4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs 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) of the CARES Act.
Per the initial guidance issued by the Department of Education stipulating the eligible recipients for CARES Act Student Aid funds, and as of May 1, 2020, the total number of students eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 of the HEA, and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act was estimated to be 6,000.
5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of September 1, 2020, the total number of students who have received CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid grants is 1,728.
6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Pepperdine University’s Finance Office has been working closely with various departments to ensure timely, accurate distribution of Emergency Financial Aid Grants to eligible students. Accordingly, the project was managed using a four-tiered approach: Notification → Identification → Designation → Disbursement.
Notification
Pepperdine University first began by notifying its community that CARES Act funds would be awarded. In addition to notifying our community on the CARES Act at Pepperdine website, a memo was distributed to all students and was mentioned at Pepperdine’s weekly President’s Briefing.
Identification
Applicants submitted requests for funding through an online application, responding to questions identifying their needs as a result of COVID-19, specifically in the areas outlined by the Department of Education. All applicants were then contacted via email, voicemail, or phone to further discuss need. Members of Pepperdine’s Student Care Team worked with Financial Aid to verify eligibility, and determined whether recipients were eligible for CARES Act Funding or another source. Attestations were utilized to determine eligibility per the instruction of the Department of Education for the period before June 17, 2020.
Designation
Based on DOE guidance, the assessment of the application, information shared by Financial Aid, and the student interview to understand need, award designations have been made. A student’s most urgent need and the number of requests for aid were evaluated in accordance with Department of Education guidance, and ultimately informed award amounts.
Disbursement
Students received payment via email and were instructed to accept funds to the bank of their choice.
7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
All pertinent information available to students regarding CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants is posted on the CARES Act at Pepperdine website.
*Please note that guidance was and continues to be updated on the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund webpage. Pepperdine will continue to monitor guidance and update reporting and distribution of funds accordingly.