CARES Act & CRRSAA HEERF II Funding Information

How has the money been spent?

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act Funding

On December 27, 2020, the CRRSAA / HEERF II bill was signed into law.  This provided UAA an additional $2,722,592 in emergency financial assistance to award to students for COVID-19 related hardships experienced on or after December 27, 2020, $700,000 of which was allocated to the Dean of Students Office Student Emergency Fund. Guidance has since been updated to include any students enrolled back to the original date of the emergency, March 13, 2020. An additional $160,982.00 was then allocated to the Dean of Students Office Student Emergency Fund.  

Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA Act allows international students to receive awards as well as students not making Satisfactory Academic Progress. We are still required to offer this assistance to the neediest students, therefore based on federal methodology, use of the FAFSA is critical in determining need without anecdotal or documented proof of need.  As such, and as with the first CARES Act student tranche of money, we allocated this money in 2 separate ways to make distribution as equitable as possible while meeting the spirit of the regulation for need.

UAA Student Emergency Grant - FAFSA Applicants Only

Students identified as having the greatest need were based on Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) range from information provided on the FAFSA. An initial total of $1,861,610.00 (68% of the CARES initial allocation) was paid to 1417 students who qualified within the PELL eligibility range. Students did not need to apply for this award, it was posted automatically to student accounts and refunds occurred regardless of the status of the student account. Students with uncashed checks after 180 days lose eligibility for these funds; they will be reissued.

Eligibility criteria for block grant:
    • Spring registration, 3 or more credits, award prorated based on enrollment
    • UAA or extended campus primary degree or certificate program
    • 2020-2021 FAFSA on file
    • 2021-2022 FAFSA completion by 3/15/2021 date
    • EFC Range: Zero to 5656 ($2000.00 full-time, $1500.00 3/4-time, $1000.00 half-time, $500.00 less than half time)

UAA Student Emergency Fund

A total of $860,982.00K(32%) was allocated to this program. This provided a mechanism, for those students who did not meet the greatest need criteria, to apply for assistance with qualifying expenses due to the coronavirus disruption. To receive assistance under this program, students submitted an electronic request form along with supporting documentation. To date, a total of $570,876.00 has been refunded to 322 students based on the following eligibility criteria:

  • UAA or extended campus primary degree program or certificate
  • Were registered between March 13, 2020 and any time during the 20/21 academic year
  • Cannot be used to pay a UA bill directly unless specific request and signed approval from the student.

* Can include food, shelter, medical needs, transportation needs, childcare, equipment/connectivity access, communications.

The UAA Office of Financial Aid is here to help. To speak with a financial aid representative or to schedule an appointment, please call 907-786-1480, and select option 4 from the main menu. 

 Website Publication Archive

Institutional Funding Allocation

The University of Alaska Anchorage has received an institutional funding allocation of CARES Act funding from the U.S. Department of Education in the amount of $2,722,592.00 from CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1) and $275,424.00 from CARES Act Section 18004(a)(2).* As of the March 30th quarterly billing cycle, these funds continued to have been used to provide additional emergency financial aid grants to students, reimbursements for tuition, housing, room and board, other fee refunds, or to purchase faculty and staff training in online instruction.

HEERF Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reports

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund - CARES Act Sections 18004(a)(1) Institutional Portion, 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3)

* *This serves as acknowledgement that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, the full amount of the student funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. 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 to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, under CRSAA, is 19,490, based on our Summer 2020, Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 unduplicated student population as of census date, as provided by Institutional Research.