ARP Reporting Information
Allocation and Actions
ARP Funds-US Department of Education American Relief Plan Act website link https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/arp.html
05/15/2021 Pitt Community College’s representative confirmed receipt of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L. 117-2), signed into law on March 11, 2021. The institution signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and the assurance.
Total allocation $9,696,519.00 Student Emergency Aid and $9,040,930.00 Institutional Aid
Eligibility
All students enrolled on or after March 13, 2020 who qualify under the ARP Act regulations will be sent an email, and text message. Dates to be determined. Direct Outreach will occur per the guidelines.
Process
The American Relief Plan Act funds are being distributed on a semester by semester basis beginning in Summer 2021 and continuing until the funds are depleted. Students may apply for COVID related Emergency Financial Aid by following the directions found on this link: https://pittcc.edu/tuition-financial-aid/financial-aid/covid-19-emergency-funding-information/.
Students were notified by text and email of the availability of funds prior to the beginning of the summer and fall semesters. Students will be reminded in the fall semester, and the process will repeat for the upcoming semesters. Applications are received on a rolling basis.
Qualitative Data
As of July 16, 2021: 1,147 summer students applied and 904 students were awarded. Those who were not awarded did not indicate a Coronavirus related need (per guidelines). Students were contacted directly by phone or email to ask if they needed assistance with the application.
As of October 5, 2021, 8,480 curriculum students were notified of the Student Emergency Aid Grants, Students who were Pell eligible were given priority. A total of 3,737 students were paid. The students received $1500 if Pell eligible and $1,000 if not Pell eligible.
2,102 Continuing Education students were notified, A total of 87 students were paid. The students received $1500 if they were Pell eligible and $1000 if they were not Pell eligible.
As of December 31, 2021: 3,281 potentially eligible Spring students were notified. A total of 4,374 students were paid. The students received $1500 if they were Pell eligible and $1000 if they were not Pell eligible.
As of March 31, 2022: 5,428 potentially eligible Spring students were notified. A total of 4,922 students were paid, totaling $3,713,683.87 of Student Portion funds. The students received $1500 if they were Pell eligible and $1000 if they were not Pell eligible.
The method for determining which students received Financial Aid was based on the ARP suggested guidelines and regulations, vetted by the CARES Team, the Financial Aid Office and from Pitt Community College surveys. Survey participants cited that a $1,000 award would be significant enough for the average person. (Source: The Pitt Community College Student Success Action Council Recruitment Committee, report 2020).
The Student Emergency Aid form previously used was modified and posted to the student portal. Notification for students: two emails were sent to eligible students for the summer term. For fall term two emails were sent to curriculum students and one email and one text message was sent to Continuing Education students. For spring term, reminder emails were sent to all identified students who had not yet applied on 1/25/22 (1,160 students) and 2/10/22 (811 students). The information was also distributed campus wide via email and on bulletin boards located on campus.
Students were directed to the student portal to complete the form and submit electronically. Students were given the hotline phone number, the Financial Aid Office, and the Grants Management Office phone numbers and emails to contact if assistance was needed.
The combined total of grants paid to students totals $9,696,519.00 of Student Portion funds.
Pitt Community College received funds from the state in late 2022 for Finish Line grants, designed to help students who are over halfway complete with their programs and experience unexpected hardships that prevent them from finishing. When the application period opened, the response from students was much higher than anticipated. PCC realized that student needs from hardships related to COVID were still high. The college decided to use a portion of its Institutional funds from The American Relief Plan Act funds to distribute another round of Emergency Financial Aid.
Students were notified by email of the availability of Student Emergency Financial Aid after the 2023 Spring Semester had begun. Applications were received on a rolling basis until funds were exhausted. Students were directed to the student portal to complete the form and submit electronically. Students were given the hotline, Financial Aid Office, the Grants Management Office phone numbers, and emails to contact if assistance was needed.
Qualitative Data
As of February 13, 2023: 1,853 Pell-entitled curriculum students with an unmet need greater than $1,500 were notified of the Student Emergency Aid Grants via email.
As of February 15, 2023: 552 students applied for Student Emergency Aid. A reminder email was sent out to the same 1,853 students.
As of February 17, 2023: The application closed. 825 students applied for Student Emergency Aid. 801 curriculum students were awarded. Of the 801 curriculum students 756 were Pell-entitled and 45 were non-Pell-entitled students.
Applications that did not indicate a coronavirus-related need were not awarded. Of the remaining applications, students that were Pell-entitled and had an unmet need of greater than $1,500.00 were awarded first; the remaining students were awarded in the order we received the applications until the funds were exhausted.
Checks were disbursed on the following dates: February 21st and March 23rd of 2023.
The method for determining which students received Financial Aid was based on the ARP suggested guidelines and regulations, vetted by the CARES Team, the Financial Aid Office and from Pitt Community College surveys. Survey participants cited that a $1,000 award would be significant enough for the average person. (Source: The Pitt Community College Student Success Action Council Recruitment Committee, report 2020).
The Student Emergency Aid form previously used was modified and posted to the student portal on February 10, 2023. Notification for students: two emails were sent to students that were Pell-entitled and had an unmet need of greater than $1,500.00 for the 2023 spring term. The Student Emergency Aid form closed on February 17, 2023.
The combined total of grants paid to students from Student Portion funds was $1985.19.
This balance was due to previous disbursements that were returned and the college was unable to reach students to have them reissued. This exhausted the remaining balance of the Student Portion. The remainder came from the Institutional Portion.
HEERF ARP– SIP Formula Funds
Pitt Community College was awarded an additional $721,814.00 on 05/29/2021. The cumulative SIP amount received equals $1,530,159.00.
An authorized representative acknowledged receipt of the funds via email to the federal officer. Funds have been used to purchase additional professional development for instructors, mental health training for faculty, staff and students, instructor needs related to the coronavirus to improve instruction and maintain social distancing per the CDC guidelines, and personal protective instructor items.
CARES Act Recipient Agreement section 4c, Pitt Community College has continued to pay all of its employees and contractors during the period of any disruptions or closures to the greatest extent practicable, in compliance with Section 18006 of the CARES Act.
Information on this document was obtained from NASFAA (National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators) NASFAA.org on 5/17/2020 and additionally referenced 09/28/2020.