Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Reporting

​​​​​​​​​​What is the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)?

Dallas College is committed to helping our students who have been financially affected by COVID-19. “The CARES Act, which establishes and funds the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), directs institutions of higher education (“institutions”) to use no less than 50% of funds received under Sections 18004(a)(1) and 18004(c) of the CARES Act to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.” (United States Department of Education, 2021)

What can HEERF Student Aid Grants be used to support?

Grants are for students who have experienced additional expenses due to COVID-19. Grant funds can help students pay for eligible expenses such as food, housing, child care, learning materials, health care/safety and transportation. Funds can also be used for emergency expenses for school semesters due to the impact of COVID-19.

Who is eligible?

The federal government has established the eligibility criteria that students must meet to receive HEERF Grants. All students who are or were enrolled in an institution of higher education during the COVID-19 national emergency are eligible for emergency financial aid grants. 

Revie​​w the eligibility criteria.

How do I apply?

The Dallas College Foundation opened an Emergency Aid Fund during Fall 2019, funded fully by private donations and in partnership with Edquity, an educational technology company that has developed an app and an algorithm to administer emergency aid quickly through an evidence-based approach using an objective and equitable process. The privately funded Emergency Aid Fund is open to all students, regardless of their Title IV eligibility or any other status.

Because the Edquity app process can collect the information needed to administer and report on the HEERF aid, we are using this same process to administer the HEERF, and all students seeking emergency funds are applying through the app.   

This is how it works: 

• Students apply through the Edquity app or on the Edquity website.  
• The algorithm prioritizes the highest need and those most likely to stay enrolled if emergency aid is awarded.
• Edquity will analyze the information provided by the students with input from the Dallas College Office of Systematic Reporting and Analytics to verify enrollment for the current term.
  
• Students are eligible for HEERF based on the eligibility requirement of the United States Department of Education outlined above in the “Who is eligible?” section. 
  

How will I receive my award?

HEERF will be distributed directly to the student by the institution. If you are approved for the award, you will receive an email notification. Please log in to your Dallas College eConnect account and choose the eRefunds option. Follow the instructions, and you will be able to enter your bank account information and receive your emergency aid quicker. If you do not have banking information available, you will receive a paper check in the mail.

Will the HEERF grant first go toward paying any outstanding charges on my student account?

No. It will bypass any outstanding charges and be distributed directly to you, the student.

Is this grant included in my gross income?

No, nor can it be claimed as a deduction or credit for expenses paid with the grant including the tuition and fees deduction, the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit (section 139(h) of the Internal Revenue Code).

Will everyone who applies receive a HEERF Grant?

No. The number of funds received from the U.S. Department of Education for direct emergency financial aid grants to students was $74,427,065. This amount is not sufficient to support all students, and Dallas College will follow federal eligibility criteria that require that students demonstrate a financial need for expenses directly related to disruption due to COVID-19. We have developed a plan to help as many students as possible while still awarding a meaningful amount. Eligible students with the highest demonstrated financial need will be given priority.

HEERF Reporting Requirements & Disclosure

Dallas College Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Minority Serving Institutional Reimbursement Portion PR/Award Numbers and reporting data as of March 24, 2021:

• Cedar Valley - Award Number: P425L200299 for $208,225
  
• Eastfield - Award Number: P425L200297 for $249,038
  
• El Centro - Award Number: P425L200298 for $3,370,661
  
• Mountain View - Award Number: P425L200296 for $194,559
  
• North Lake - Award Number: P425L200294 for $181,249
  
• Richland - Award Number: P425L200295 for $366,380
  

Dallas College Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to Students PR/Award Numbers and reporting data as of June 8, 2021:

• Brookhaven - Award Number: P425E204062 for $1,093,654
  
• Cedar Valley - Award Number: P425E200254 for $700,746
  
• Eastfield - Award Number: P425E200270 for $1,824,847
  
• El Centro - Award Number: P425E200262 for $65,949,443
  
• Mountain View - Award Number: P425E200280 for $1,451,230
  
• North Lake - Award Number: P425E200284 for $1,249,091
  
• Richland - Award Number: P425E200285 for $2,158,054
  

The following information is provided to the public for reporting purposes for the 30-day report and will be updated every day thereafter regarding the allocations received from Dallas College.

HEERF Report for Dallas College

1. In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education, as a recipient of HEERF funding, Dallas College signed a Certification of Agreement on April 10, 2020, assuring that the institution will use no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the HEERF​ to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
2. The total amount of Student Emergency Aid Grant funds distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of HEERF as of July 6, 2021, is $16,566,900. Remaining funds continue to be disbursed as part of the application process described further below in the methods used to determine which students receive aid and how much they receive. Amounts of disbursement are updated daily on the HEERF Report.
3. The estimated total number of students at Dallas College eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Student Emergency Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the HEERF is 10,922 for Spring 2020, 4,066 for Summer 2020, 7,548 for Fall 2020,13,284 for Spring 2021 and 16,000 for Summer 2021.
4. The total number of students who have received Student Emergency Aid can be found on the HEERF Report.
5. The methods used by Dallas College to determine which students receive Student Emergency Aid Grants and how much they will receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the HEERF are as follows:
   • Students who apply through Edquity and are eligible to receive the HEERF grant
     
   • Award priority will be given to students with the highest need. The date eligible students complete the application on Edquity will also be used in making the awards.
   • Amounts will be awarded to assist as many students as possible based on the needs presented in the application.
6. Instructions, directions​ or guidance provided by Dallas College to students concerning the HEERF grant are:
   • Provided through the institutional websites with general instructions on the purpose and allowable use of funds; disbursement information; application information or instruction for the Edquity app; additional emergency aid resources for students.
   • Information regarding the facts surrounding the HEERF grant and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund is prominently displayed above and on the HEERF Report.