CARES Act

Santa Fe College

Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding Information - as of June 29, 2020

Santa Fe College (SF) is a recipient of Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds.  In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education guidance and federal regulations regarding the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, SF provides the following information.  This information was reported via this webpage as required 30 days after April 21, 2020, the date SF received its allocation under 18004(a)(1). The information is being updated every 45 days thereafter for the federal funding period ending April 20, 2021.

1. SF signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education (Department) the required Certification and Agreement in April. SF assures that it will 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 Department awarded SF a total of $3,929,725 in CARES Act funding for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. The college’s current plan is that funding will be distributed directly to students in several phases over the award year.

3. As of June 29, 2020, SF has distributed a total of $786.850.00 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. 

4. In accordance with Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, there are an estimated 9,917 SF students eligible to participate in programs and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. 

5. As of June 29, 2020, 925 SF students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. 

6. Prior to June 13, 2020, SF utilized two methods to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, as described in the first report published on May 15, 2020.

On June 13, 2020, SF adopted a more streamlined and efficient method to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. Students are required to complete an application on the college website. Applicants must submit the following information:

1. Name
2. Student identification number
3. Contact information
4. Type of emergency aid requested (childcare, course materials, food, health care, housing, technology).
5. An attestation certifying that the student incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses.

Once eligibility is determined, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is used to establish the award amount. The chart below shows the award amount based on EFC.

7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants are as follows:

Students were provided with the following message about the availability of Emergency Aid:

On 6/15, the message about the Santa Fe College COVID-19 Emergency Aid Grant was updated on the SF website as follows:

Santa Fe College COVID-19 Emergency Aid Grant is available to assist SF students impacted by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Grant awards can be made to address personal emergencies relating to food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare. These grants, funded by the CARES Act, are awarded to help students with temporary financial crises resulting from COVID-19. Only students who are eligible for federal financial aid qualify for this grant. The application is available at www.sfcollege.edu/COVID19aid. 

To be eligible you must:

1. Be a currently enrolled student at SF
2. Be enrolled in a degree program that is not an exclusively online program (cannot be enrolled in BA Nursing -Program Code 5400; AS Health Information Technology - Program Code 3520; AS Health Services Management - Program Code 3330)
3. Be eligible for federal financial aid (eligible to participate in Title IV programs in accordance with sfcollege.edu/fa/process/eligibility
4. Complete the online COVID-19 Emergency Aid Grant application including attestation.

Students who submit an application and have not completed the FAFSA are sent the following notification: Further review of your COVID-19 Emergency Grant application shows that you do not have a current FAFSA on file.  Therefore, we are unable to determine your eligibility under Title IV.  The good news is that you can still go ahead and complete your 2019-2020 FAFSA and then reapply for the grant.  Remember that your FAFSA application may open a wider opportunity for you for scholarships and other financial opportunities beyond this COVID-19 emergency grant. SF has a detailed, step-by-step FAFSA video that shows you how to complete the FAFSA. If you need further assistance, please contact Ms. Bertha Jackson at bertha.jackson@sfcollege.edu.  Once you complete the FAFSA and you know you’ve gone through the Financial Aid process, then go back online at COVID-19 Emergency Aid Grant application to complete the application.