Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

MSJC is no longer accepting applications for Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF)

On March 27, 2020, Congress approved the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, (Pub. L. 116-136), which provided approximately $2 trillion in assistance to individuals and businesses. The CARES Act created the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which provided $14 billion in direct funding to institutions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of this amount, Mt. San Jacinto College received $4,856,555 to provide emergency financial aid grants to student and $4,856,555 to cover institutional expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19. Mt. San Jacinto certified that the full amount of funds provided for emergency student aid grants would be spent for that purpose. By mid-December 2020, the College had fully spent all CARES student aid funds and some of the CARES institutional funds to support emergency financial aid grants to students. A total of $5,455,061 of CARES emergency financial aid grants were distributed to 1,940 students. CARES Act certifications, reports prior to January 1, 2021, and information on student eligibility can be found at msjc.edu/caresact.

The ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic continued to create enormous challenges for colleges. On December 27, 2020, in response to this ongoing crisis and in an effort to keep staff and students safe while preserving the learning environment, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), (Pub. L. 116-260). This act provided an additional $22.7 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Of this amount, Mt. San Jacinto College received $4,856,555 to provide emergency financial aid grants to student and $15,186,844 to defray ongoing institutional costs related to COVID-19. By mid-March 2021, over half of the CRRSAA emergency financial aid funds ($2,663,000) were distributed to 2,759 students.

On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 117-2). The APR Act appropriated approximately $39.6 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and represents the third stream of funding appropriated for HEERF to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19. Of this amount, Mt. San Jacinto College received $17,680,697 for student emergency aid and $17,680,696 in institutional funds.

Taken together, the CARES, CRRSAA, and ARP Acts represent HEERF I, HEERF II, and HEERF III, respectively.

Certifications and reports for all HEERF funds beginning January 1, 2021 can be found below. Student instructions, information on eligibility, the criteria for determining who receives emergency financial aid grants, and a form for students to self-certify exceptional need in order to receive CRRSAA and ARP funds are now available.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

Reports

Quarterly and Budget Expenditure Reporting for all HEERF I, II, and III

Student Emergency Aid Reporting

Certifications