The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) (Pub. L. 116-260). HEERF II provides emergency grants from the US Department of Education to eligible students and institutions to help cover education-related expenses caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. In accordance with reporting requirements, we are providing the information below:
APUS acknowledges that a signed Certification and Agreement was submitted to the Department on April 14, 2021 for HEERF II (CRRSAA) funding. This agreement indicated our commitment and assurance that APUS would use no less than 100% of the funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
HEERF II Funds Received by APUS
APUS received $589,828 in HEERF II funding, of which 100% was distributed to 2,858 students to help cover expenses related to the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arose due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or childcare.
HEERF II Criteria
In accordance with regulations and guidance established by the U.S. Department of Education, the criteria for identifying students with exceptional need and eligibility for HEERF II funding is as follows:
- Student applied for Federal Student Aid and the financial aid package was approved for the 2020-2021 award year (July 1-June 30);
- Student is Pell eligible with an Estimated Family Contribution [EFC] of $0, which is an indicator of the most needy Pell recipients;
- Student is enrolled in an Associates or Bachelors program;
- Student has completed one course successfully that started before January 2021 (a letter grade other than F or W); and
- An Academic Year with registrations (non-dropped courses) starting in either January or February 2021, and student was not academically dismissed or disenrolled as of April 28, 2021.
APUS identified 4,009 students who met the above criteria.
HEERF II Student Communications
APUS sent email notifications regarding the availability of CRRSAA financial aid grants. Students were required to respond via a link provided in the email by no later than 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, 05/27/21. Students who selected the link were directed to a web page, which confirmed their certification, and provided information on how funds would be disbursed. The notifications included instructions regarding the appropriate uses of financial aid grants (e.g., any component of a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus). Students with questions were encouraged to contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 855-731-9218, Monday – Friday, from 8 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EST.
The student email communications were sent as follows:
- May 12, 2021: Initial email sent to the eligible population.
- May 17, 2021: Reminder email to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgment.
- May 21, 2021: Reminder email to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgment.
- May 25, 2021: Final reminder email sent to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgement.
- May 28, 2021: HEERF II recipients were sent an email advising that the grant funds had been released to Bank Mobile and explaining how funds would be delivered, by electronic deposit or check.
After the deadline had passed, the web page was updated with information that the timeframe for certifying eligibility for the grant had expired.
HEERF II Funding Summary
- As of May 27, 2021, APUS received 2,858 student certifications for HEERF II Funding.
- As of June 2, 2021, APUS disbursed a total of $207 to each student.
The total amount disbursed included 100% of the $589,828 allocated HEERF II funding combined with an APUS total contribution of $1,778 in institutional funding for a total of $591,606.
This is the final quarterly posting and covers all HEERF II funding expenditures.
Last Updated 7/8/21