American Rescue Plan
American Rescue Plan
HEERF III - American Rescue Plan (ARP)
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing $39.6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
HEERF III (a)(1) – Student Portion
Emergency Financial Aid Grants Awarded to Students
Currently 6,328 NJCU students are eligible to apply for grants under the HEERF III program. NJCU received an allocation of $12,361,150 to be distributed to students under the program. Eligibility under the HEERF III program was expanded to include undocumented and international students. All eligible students must be enrolled at NJCU in the term that the application is opened.
As of June 30, 2022, NJCU has awarded 2,549 students a total of $6,296,801.88.
The remaining funding will be prioritized for use during the Fall 2022 term and prioritized for students with exceptional financial need experiencing difficulty paying the costs of tuition and housing. The application results from HEERF I made it clear that tuition and housing costs were the two greatest needs expressed by NJCU students and posed the greatest risk factors to uninterrupted college enrollment. HEERF III funding will be administered through separate applications each term for both Tuition and Housing needs to help maximize the number of students that can be served by these funds.
Distribution of Grants
For Spring 2022, all enrolled students will be eligible to apply for HEERF funding.
NJCU is administering the HEERF III funding through a series of different programs for Spring 2022 with the aim of addressing the burden of tuition and housing costs:
- Spring 2022 – Cost of Housing Hardship [Maximum award $5,912.15]
- Spring 2022 – Cost of Tuition Hardship [Maximum award $1,800]
- Summer 2022 –Cost of Tuition Hardship [Maximum award $4,409.60]
- Summer 2022 – Cost of Housing Hardship [Maximum award $1500]
- Fall 2022 – Cost of Housing Hardship [Maximum award $6,089.50]
- Fall 2022 – Cost of Tuition Hardship [Maximum award $1,854]
Process, Evaluation, Eligibility
In alignment with Federal recommendations regarding the Student portion (a)(1) portion of the funding, NJCU identified students via an application process who had expressed need and difficulty covering the costs of tuition and housing.
As per the federal requirements, all currently enrolled students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number are eligible for the Higher Education Emergency Relief funding under the CARES Act. Unlike HEERF I and HEERF II requirements, students enrolled exclusively in an online program, International, undocumented, and DACA students are eligible; as well as, students who are in a SAP (satisfactory academic progress) denied status, students who have not registered for Selective Service (male only), and/or students who have defaulted on federal student loans. At this point in time, funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) will be limited to those students who were registered in the term designated by each of the applications.
All HEERF III tuition hardship programs first consider Pell recipients for awards. If funding remained in the program after all Pell recipients received their emergency grant, all other students were considered.
All HEERF III housing hardship programs first consider students living on campus with demonstrated inability to pay housing term bills. Within this group, Pell recipient students were given grants as a last dollar award up to the full cost of housing (not including board). Pell students without outstanding on campus housing balances, received up to $5,000 per term. Non Pell eligible students were then considered to receive up to $5,000 per term regardless of whether they lived in campus housing or not.
All students were asked to affirmatively indicate on the application and sign to that effect whether they wanted their HEERF grant applied to their NJCU student account or whether they prefer a percentage be applied. Students who did not provide affirmative consent will have their grants distributed by check or direct deposit.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the VP of Student Affairs/Enrollment Management by emailing them at VPSAEM@njcu.edu
HEERF III (a)(2) – Minority Serving Institution
Emergency Financial Aid Grants Awarded
NJCU received $1,485,596 to be distributed to students. This allocation was made to NJCU based on two priorities under Section 314(a)(2) of the CRRSAA.
- Developing Hispanic serving Institutions (DHSI) ($1,262,960)
- Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) ($222,636)
As of June 30, 2022, NJCU has awarded 354 students a total of $1,269,121.37.
The remaining funding will be prioritized for students eligible for postbaccalaureate study during the Fall 2022 term.
Distribution of Grants
The maximum emergency assistance grant will be $5,912.15 per student. A team of professionals from student service offices will review requests. Funds will be directly applied to student accounts to help cover the costs of Fall 2021 on campus housing or to students seeking postgraduate study.
In alignment with Federal recommendations regarding the Minority Serving Institution (a)(2) portion of the funding, NJCU prioritized student living in on campus housing, through an application process, expressed difficulty paying their housing costs.
As per the federal requirements, all currently enrolled students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number are eligible for the Higher Education Emergency Relief funding under the CARES Act. Unlike HEERF I and HEERF II requirements, students enrolled exclusively in an online program, International, undocumented, and DACA students are eligible; as well as, students who are in a SAP (satisfactory academic progress) denied status, students who have not registered for Selective Service (male only), and/or students who have defaulted on federal student loans. At this point in time, funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) will be limited to those students who were registered and living in on campus housing for Fall 2021 or seeking postgraduate studies.
For More Information
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the VP of Student Affairs/Enrollment Management by emailing them at VPSAEM@njcu.edu
Additional HEERF Programs
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27th, 2020. This bill allotted $2.2 trillion to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that money, approximately $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF.
New Jersey City University signed the Funding Certification and Agreement Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act on April 13, 2020.
Beginning on May 4, 2020, the University began notifying eligible students about the application process through NJCU email, with an individualized link to the application. All requests for assistance are being processed on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are disbursed.
Emergency Financial Aid Grants Awarded
Currently 4,950 NJCU students are eligible. NJCU received a total of $8,337,070 of which a minimum of $4,168,535 must be distributed to students.
As of January 14, 2021, NJCU has awarded 2,236 students a total of $4,199,750.
All available HEERF I funding available under the CARES Act has now been distributed to students. The Application for HEERF I funding available under the CARES Act is now closed.
New Jersey City University is committed to providing financial aid to students in need, and all the more during the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The most immediate source of aid is Federal funding, which begins with the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Starting May 4, 2020, eligible students will be able to apply for assistance by completing an individualized application that was sent to their NJCU email account. All requests for assistance will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until all the funds are disbursed.
Distribution of Grants
The maximum emergency assistance grant will be $3,250 per student. A team of professionals from student service offices will review requests. Funds will be disbursed to students through direct deposit to personal accounts on record or through a check mailed to the address on record. It can take up to three weeks from the date of each student’s submission to receive payment.
Process, Evaluation, Eligibility
In alignment with Federal recommendations, NJCU has developed a point system to help evaluate who is in most need and help determine how to distribute the funds based on a rubric that measures several components of need. Students will self-disclose their “need” by answering a series of questions related to:
- Food Insecurity
- Housing Security
- Registration Status
- Health Care
- Course Material/Technology
- Employment Status
As per the federal requirements, all currently enrolled students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number are eligible for the Higher Education Emergency Relief funding under the CARES Act. Students enrolled exclusively in an online program on or before March 13, 2020, are not eligible for this funding. International, undocumented, and DACA students are ineligible; as well as, students who are in a SAP (satisfactory academic progress) denied status, students who have not registered for Selective Service (male only), and/or students who have defaulted on federal student loans. At this point in time, funding from the CARES Act will be limited to those students who were registered for Spring 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. In total, the CRRSAA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion expeditiously provided last spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136.
Emergency Financial Aid Grants Awarded
Currently 4,950 NJCU students are eligible. As part of NJCU’s $14,225,979 allocation, $4,168,535 was the required minimum amount to be distributed to students.
As of May 19, 2022, NJCU has awarded 2,373 students a total of $4,166,563.
The Application for HEERF II funding available under the CRRSAA is now closed.
Distribution of Grants
The maximum emergency assistance grant will be $3,250 per student. A team of professionals from student service offices will review requests. Funds will be disbursed to students through direct deposit to personal accounts on record or through a check mailed to the address on record. It can take up to three weeks from the date of each student’s submission to receive payment.
Process, Evaluation, Eligibility
In alignment with Federal recommendations, NJCU has developed a point system to help evaluate who is in most need and help determine how to distribute the funds based on a rubric that measures several components of need. Students will self-disclose their “need” by answering a series of questions related to:
- Food Insecurity
- Housing Security
- Registration Status
- Health Care
- Course Material/Technology
- Employment Status
As per the federal requirements, all currently enrolled students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number are eligible for the Higher Education Emergency Relief funding under the CARES Act. Students enrolled exclusively in an online program on or before March 13, 2020, are not eligible for this funding. International, undocumented, and DACA students are ineligible; as well as, students who are in a SAP (satisfactory academic progress) denied status, students who have not registered for Selective Service (male only), and/or students who have defaulted on federal student loans. At this point in time, funding from the CRRSAA will be limited to those students who were registered for Spring 2021.