CARES Act / CRRSAA Funding Department of Education Report
Institutional Portion
CRRSAA/HERFF II Funding Section 314(a)(1)
Student Portion
CRRSAA/HERFF II Funding Section 314(a)(1)
April 12, 2021 - Report #1
1. An acknowledgment that the institution has used, or intends to use, the same amount of HEERF II funds for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students as offered to students for HEERF I under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Institutions who received HEERF I grant funds under the CARES Act were not required to submit an application for the HEERF II grant. Pepperdine University received its HEERF II Grant Award Notification on January 17, 2021. In keeping with the terms of acceptance of these funds, Pepperdine University will use no less than $1,810,416, as stated under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA, to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants directly to students.
2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
Pepperdine University received $1,810,416 in aid from the Department of Education.
3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every 45 days thereafter).
As of April 12, 2021, Pepperdine University has distributed $1,476,675 to students.
4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA. CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants, in awarding financial aid grants to students. However, students do not need to be only Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants. In addition, the CRRSAA explicitly provides that financial aid grants to students may be provided to students exclusively enrolled in distance education.
As of February 12, 2021, the total number of students eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants was estimated to be 5,241.
5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA.
As of April 12, 2021, the total number of students who have received CRRSAA Act Emergency Financial Aid grants is 3,679.
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 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA.
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 CRRSAA funds would be awarded. In addition to notifying our community on the
CARES Act and CRRSAA at Pepperdine website, a memo was distributed to all students.
Identification:
Because CRRSAA prioritizes students with "exceptional need", eligible students were
identified by reviewing students' Expected Family Contributions (EFC as determined
on your official FAFSA). CRRSAA emergency grant amounts were determined by the student's
EFC according to the table below:
| Eligible 2020-2021 EFC | Undergraduate (FT, TT, HT) CRRSAA Amount | Undergraduate (LT) CRRSAA Amount | Graduate (FT, HT) CRRSAA Amount | Graduate (LT) CRRSAA Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0 - $2,500 | $825 | $450 | $400 | $200 |
| $2,501 - $5,000 | $700 | $375 | $325 | $175 |
| $5,001 - $7,500 | $650 | $325 | $300 | $150 |
| $7,501 - $10,000 | $525 | $300 | $225 | $125 |
| $10,001 - $25,000 | $300 | $225 | - | - |
*Students who received an "unmet need" disbursement in February 2021 are not eligible for this automatic disbursement.
FT = Full Time
TT = Three Quarter Time
HT = Half Time
LT = Less than Half Time
PT = Part Time
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 CRRSAA Emergency Financial Aid Grants is posted at the following link: https://www.pepperdine.edu/coronavirus/cares-act/.
*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.
Institutional Portion
CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1)
- Quarterly Report - April 10, 2021
- Quarterly Report - January 10, 2021
- Quarterly Report - October 30, 2020
Student Portion
CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1)
April 10, 2021 - Report #6
*NOTE: This is the final quarterly posting, which covers all remaining HEERF fund expenditures for Section 18004(a)(1) Student Portion funds.
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, April 10, 2021, Pepperdine University has distributed $1,810,416 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 April 10, 2021, the total number of students who have received CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid grants is 1,775.
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.