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Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Report

Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

June 1st, 2020

Sacramento Ultrasound Institute (OPE ID: 04253700) received education stabilization funds under Section 18004(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Public Law No: 116-136. This Fund Report applies to the student portion received under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund that is designated exclusively for emergency financial aid grants to students.

The institution appreciates that Congress and the President have made these critical funds available for eligible students who have expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic. We take receipt of these federal funds seriously and are distributing them per the CARES Act and implementing guidance.

The institution is making the below information available for transparency purposes and in compliance with the U.S. Department of Education’s (“Department”) Electronic Announcement of May 6th, 2020. For questions or concerns regarding this Fund Report, please contact Samuel Yarmagyan, at sam@sui.edu

The institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

  1. 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.
  2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department under the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students is $19,915.00.
  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 this Fund Report is $17,283.38.
  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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, as of the date of this Fund Report is 56.
  5. The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of this Fund Report is 23.
  6. The methods 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 are provided at Attachment A.
  7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants are provided at Attachment B.

Attachment A

EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS POLICY

HEERF Policy:

This policy is to ensure that the funds mentioned above are distributed as widely as possible.

Sacramento Ultrasound Institute is awarding the CARES Grant to students for expenses related to the disruption of their education. SUI is following the guidance provided by the Secretary of Education in the April 9th, 2020 letter:

“The CARES Act provides institutions with significant discretion on how to award this emergency assistance to students. This means that each institution may develop its system and process for determining how to allocate these funds, which may include distributing the funds to all students…”

Also, the letter states the acceptable student uses of CARE Grant Funds by students:

“expenses related to disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.”

* Eligible students include all ACTIVE students in core programs as of April 10th, 2020, and had their method of delivery changed to a distance education modality due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Procedure Steps:

  • Students will be placed in 3 tiers based on need.
  • SUI will form a committee that will determine which tier each student falls under.
  • This is to be considered a non–Title IV award and will not be included on the 1098-T or included as Title IV funds in the 90/10 calculations.
  • The disbursement will be treated as a pass-through award and will be issued in the form of a check or direct deposit made payable directly to the student.
  • Orbund will send out automatic emails to all Active students (as of April 10th) with the attachment of CARES Student Fund Certification via Docusign.
  • If we receive notification from a student that they do not have significant financial need, they will not be included in the program distribution.
  • If a grant check is not cashed within 90 days of the issue date, the check is to be canceled, and the funds will be reallocated back into SUI’s Student Relief Fund. These funds will be disbursed to other students at the sole discretion of the Director of Financial Aid after a needs-based review. Alternatively, SUI may choose to return undistributed funds to the government.
  • Individual CARES Grant Award disbursements are to be kept and tracked by accounting for reporting every 30 and 45 days as required.
  • Each student requesting a grant will be required to execute a certification form as to allowable uses of the funds.

Award amounts will range from $298.73 to $1,165.03 per student. All student certifications will be processed, starting on May 16th, 2020, which coincides with the due date for the return of all Student Certification Forms. The accounting department will then begin with the appropriate general ledger entries and check production to send to the certified students. Any funds remaining after all ‘certified’ student applications have been paid, will be available for the Financial Aid Department to distribute to financially impacted students based on a needs analysis.

Best efforts will be made to send these grant checks by May 17th, 2020, assuming there are no issues with the availability of federal funds or the certification return process, including the need to update student information such as address changes and name changes.

Attachment B

Due to the COVID19 pandemic, SUI realizes that some of our students may be experiencing Financial hardship due to loss of employment, or a reduction in hours. SUI has an Emergency Relief Fund available to help those in need. These funds may be used toward housing, utility bills,food, healthcare costs, and child care needs.

What is needed to qualify for these funds:

  • You will need to have a current eligible FAFSA that is fully fundable. If you have not completed your FAFSA please do so by 5/11/2020, as it takes 3 business days to process.
  • Please fill out your Student Declaration Application by 5/14/2020 by clicking on the link provided.
  • Fill out your direct deposit form by clicking on the link provided. If you don’t have have a bank account, paper checks will be mailed to the address that is on file. If you have moved, make sure the Financial Aid Department has your correct mailing information.
  • Email your proof of hardship to Renee Lease at rlease@sui.edu. Such as: termination/layoff notice, old and new paycheck stubs, or EDD documentation.
    The deadline to get all this in is 5/14/2020. The Financial Aid Department will be sending out notification as to who was approved/denied and the amount that you’re approved for by end of day 5/14/2020. Funds will be issued on Friday 5/15/2020. If you have any questions, please contact Renee Lease the Director of Financial Aid.

*Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136 (March 27th, 2020), authorized the U.S. Secretary of Education (“Secretary”) to provide Sacramento Ultrasound Institute (“SUI”) with Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (“HEERF”) funds. Section 18004(c) of the CARES Act requires the College to use at least fifty percent of the funds received to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

** Eligible students include those students who were active as of April 10th, 2020, and had their method of delivery changed to a distance education modality due to the Coronavirus pandemic. (online programs and continuing education programs do not qualify for this grant)

SUI has determined that each student who certifies that they are eligible for the emergency grant funds depending on their need. SUI must receive certification forms via email by Friday, May 15th, 2020. Certification forms will be processed at that time, and direct deposits/checks will be issued and mailed as quickly as possible (assuming the government has released the funds to SUI to distribute.

All checks sent must be cashed within 90 days (no exceptions) of date of issue, or the checks will be canceled, and funds will return to the SUI Student Fund for further student allocation or be returned to the government at SUI’s discretion.

By signing this certification:

I attest that all information is true and accurate, and I am requesting a one-time Emergency Financial Aid Grant to help cover the cost of expenses incurred due to the Coronavirus pandemic. I understand that I will be unable to revise this request after submitting it, and I understand that the administration of my school will determine my eligibility for grant monies based on my responses to the questions above.