Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

HEERF Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

Overview: Emergency Financial Aid Grants funded through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and supplemental appropriations (CRRSAA)

In compliance with guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), Lurleen B. Wallace Community College (LBWCC) distributed funds to eligible students to offset expenses related to campus disruptions resulting from COVID-19.

Funding History

• Initial CARES Act Award: $773,069 (notified April 24, 2020)
• CRRSAA Supplemental Award: $773,069 (notified January 17, 2021)
• Total Distributed (as of April 7, 2021): $1,543,469 to 1,477 unduplicated students

Eligible Expenses

Emergency grant funds should be used for eligible expenses such as:

Housing

Food

Course materials

Technology

Health care

Child care

Grant Award Amounts

The College determined varying amounts of funding dependent upon students' circumstances:

• $550: All eligible students who certified incurred expenses
• $1,050: Eligible students with highest need (includes $550 base grant + $500 supplement based on FAFSA)
• $1,406.98: Eligible residents of College-managed residence facility Saints Hall (includes $550 base + $856.98 for unused Saints Hall rent)
• $1,906.98: Eligible Saints Hall residents with highest need (includes $550 base + $856.98 rent supplement + $500 need-based supplement)
• $363: Fall 2020 semester eligible students (flat amount)
• $700 or $370: Spring 2021 distribution (Pell recipients received $700; all others received $370)

Eligibility Criteria

Spring 2020 Semester (CARES Act):

Enrolled in at least one in-person class on March 13, 2020

Eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965

U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status

Valid Social Security number

Registration with Selective Service, if required

High school diploma, GED, or completion of high school in approved homeschool setting

Ineligible: Non-degree seeking students, noncredit students, those who withdrew from courses prior to March 13, those only enrolled in Mini-term 1 courses

Fall 2020 and Beyond (CRRSAA):

Eligibility guidelines relaxed to include both online and in-person students

Non-degree seeking and non-credit students eligible

High-need Pell recipients prioritized per Department of Education guidance

Distribution Methods

• Direct deposit (if banking information on file)
• Mailed check (for all others)

Terms

• Grants do not need to be repaid
• Students not required to submit receipts or documentation

Contact Information

• Shannon Levitzke, Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness and Quality
- Email: slevitzke@lbwcc.edu

• Jason Jessie, Dean of Student Affairs
- Email: jjessie@lbwcc.edu

Phone: 334-493-5357 (main college line)

Geographic Scope

Alabama - LBWCC serves students at Andalusia, Greenville, and Opp campus locations