Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Required Reports and Disclosures

This webpage serves as public disclosure for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) for Pomona College. This webpage will be updated quarterly with required changes. The following information has been reviewed and is current as of 12/31/2021 and posted on 1/7/2022.

1. Certification and Agreement

CARES Act/HEERF I: Pomona College signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement to participate in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). Pomona agrees to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received through the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

CCRSA/HEERF II: Pomona College submitted the Certification and Agreement to continue to receive emergency grant funding for students through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA). Under the CRRSA (HEERF II) Pomona agrees to provide at least the same amount in financial aid grants to students that it was required under the CARES Act.

ARP/HEERF III: The America Rescue Plan did not require an additional application to participate and accept emergency student grant funds. Upon accepting the student aid portion of the funds, Pomona College agreed to allocate at least 50% of total funds for direct emergency student grants and conduct direct outreach to financial aid applicants about the opportunity to receive a financial aid adjustment due to unemployment and other circumstances.

2. Amounts Received

CARES Act/HEERF I: Pomona College received $642,822 as the student share for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

CRRSA/HEERF II: Pomona College received $642,822 as the student share for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

ARP/HEERF III: Pomona College received $1,631,764 as the student share for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

3. Amounts Distributed to Date

CARES/HEERF I: As of July 1, 2020, Pomona College distributed $644,840 paid directly to students through direct deposit for those with banking information on file and by check for the remainder of student recipients. This included funds from the college’s institutional share.

CCRSA/HEERF II: As of May 14, 2021, Pomona College distributed $642,964 paid directly to students through direct deposit for those with banking information on file and by check for the remainder of the student recipients.

ARP/HEERF III: As of December 31, 2021, Pomona College distributed $1,714,250 paid directly to students through direct deposit for those with banking information on file and by check for the remainder of the student recipients.

4. Estimated Number of Eligible Students

CARES/HEERF I: Pomona College estimates that 1,413 students at the college were potentially 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.

CCRSA/HEERF II: Pomona College estimates that 1,342 students were potentially eligible for funding.

ARP/HEERF III: Pomona College estimates that 1,747 students were potentially eligible for funding.

5. Number of Student Recipients

CARES/HEERF I: As of July 1, 2020, 998 students received emergency grant payments.

CCRSA/HEERF II: As of May 14, 2021, 977 students received emergency grant payments.

ARP/HEERF III: As of December 31, 2021, 1,433 students and recent graduates received emergency grant payments.

6. Institutional Methodology to Determine Student Eligibility

CARES/HEERF I Student Eligibility:

  1. Students enrolled in a degree granting program of study as of March 13, 2020, the date of the President’s Proclamation, “Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)”
  2. Students who are making Satisfactory Academic Progress toward their degree
  3. Students who filed a FAFSA to confirm their Title IV eligibility requirements of Higher Education Act.

Pomona College excluded from this larger population of potentially eligible students:

  1. Individuals it knew to be foreign nationals who were not U.S. permanent residents or other eligible non-citizens under Title IV of HEA
  2. those students in the U.S. without a lawful immigration status; and
  3. those students whose Title IV eligibility requirements could not be confirmed due to a missing or incomplete FAFSA application.

Grant amounts of $400-$960 were issued to students based on the student’s level of financial need. Larger grants will be provided to students with higher financial need, while ensuring that funds will be distributed as broadly as possible to eligible students. Student use of the funds are at their discretion to assist with emergency expenses for food, housing, moving and storage costs, healthcare, transportation, technology, and childcare needs.

CRRSA/HEERF II Student Eligibility:

  1. Students who were enrolled on the Fall 2020 census date (September 5, 2020) or Spring 2021 census date (February 9, 2021)
  2. Students who are making Satisfactory Academic Progress toward their degree
  3. Students who filed a FAFSA to confirm their Title IV eligibility requirements of Higher Education Act.

Pomona College excluded from this larger population of potentially eligible students:

  1. Individuals it knew to be foreign nationals who were not U.S. permanent residents or other eligible non-citizens under Title IV of HEA;
  2. those students in the U.S. without a lawful immigration status; and,
  3. those students whose Title IV eligibility requirements could not be confirmed due to a missing or incomplete FAFSA application.

Grant amounts of $400-$1,004 were issued to students based on the student’s level of financial need. Larger grants were provided to students with higher financial need, while ensuring that funds will be distributed as broadly as possible to eligible students. Student use of the funds are at their discretion to assist with emergency expenses for food, housing, moving and storage costs, healthcare, transportation, technology, and childcare needs.

ARP/HEERF III Student Eligibility:

a. Students who were enrolled at Pomona College on the census date for the Fall 2021 semester (September 13, 2021) and submitted either the FAFSA or CSS PROFILE that provided sufficient information to determine the student had financial need.

OR

b. Students who previously received emergency student grants through the HEERF I (CARES Act) or HEERF II (CCRSA Act) and graduated during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 academic years

OR

c. Students who previously received emergency student grants through the HEERF I (CARES Act) or HEERF II (CCRSA Act) and are active students on a leave of absence or nonenrolled Senior status for the Fall 2021 semester.

Currently enrolled students who demonstrate the highest level of financial need at Pomona College (independent students with a calculated student contribution of $2,000 or less and dependent students with a parent contribution of $2,000 or less) will receive a one-time student emergency grant of $2,250. All remaining current students who have demonstrated financial need will receive an emergency student grant of $1,500. Students who have graduated, are on a leave of absence or are in a nonenrolled senior status who received HEERF I (CARES Act) or HEERF II (ARP Act) emergency student grants will receive an emergency grant of $250. Student use of the funds are at their discretion to assist with emergency expenses for food, housing, moving and storage costs, healthcare, transportation, technology, and childcare needs.

7. Instructions, Directions or Guidance Provided by the Institution concerning HEERF Grant

CARES/HEERF I: The Dean of Students emailed all enrolled students with information regarding the CARES Act eligibility requirements and required steps for applying for funds by completing the FAFSA application. Students were directed to review general information on the CARES Act and frequently asked questions that were posted to Pomona College’s COVID-19 webpage: Pomona College’s Coronavirus Federal Student Funding and Frequently Asked Question page.

CRRSA/HEERF II: The Dean of Students emailed all enrolled students with information about the HEERF II eligibility, funding amounts, timing of disbursement, taxability and funding uses. All questions and answers were also posted to Pomona College’s Coronavirus Federal Student Funding page.

ARP/HEERF III: The Dean of Students emailed all enrolled students with information about the HEERF III eligibility, funding amounts, timing of disbursement, taxability and funding uses. All questions and answers were also posted to Pomona College’s Coronavirus Federal Student Funding page.