45-Day CARES Act Report (June 13, 2020 -July 28, 2020)

To the Standard College Community:

To the Standard College Community:

1. Standard Healthcare Services College of Nursing has signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution will use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
2. The total amount of funds the institution received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students is $258,155.00.
3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of July 28, 2020 was $257,051.60.
4. 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 as of July 28, 2020 was 370 eligible students.
5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of July 28, 2020 was 368.
6. The method Standard College used to determine which students would receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is based on the following:
   • Standard College opened a Second Student CARES Act emergency grant application cycle on July 22, 2020. The application period closed on July 28, 2020.
   • Students who had been enrolled at Standard College prior to May 14, 2020 and returned to the Practical Nursing or LPN to RN Transition program as a currently enrolled student by July 21, 2020, were informed that they were eligible to receive the CARE ACT Funds.
   • Students were determined CARE ACT Funds eligible based on the ISIR the school had on file for them.
   • In order for the student to receive the CARES Act funds, the student needed to agree to comply with the terms of the CARES ACT. This was established by the student timely completing and submitting a CARES ACT Fund Acceptance form.
   • The Reserve Funds from the first CARES ACT distribution period, in the amount of $12,907.75, were used to distribute to Title IV eligible, currently enrolled students in the second CARES ACT distribution period.
   • The school determined whether the student in the second CARES ACT distribution period was eligible to receive a PELL grant or a financial aid loan.
   • The school distributed $767.52 to each PELL Grant recipient and $560.56 to each eligible loan recipient in the second CARES ACT distribution period.
7. Instructions provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants:
   • In the second CARES ACT application period, an email notification was sent to students who had been enrolled at Standard College prior to May 14, 2020 and returned to the Practical Nursing or LPN to RN Transition program as a currently enrolled student by July 21, 2020, and had established Title IV eligibility. The student was informed that eligibility was established based upon a U.S. Department of Education decision deeming that student eligible for Title IV financial aid as a result of the student submitting a 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 FAFSA application.
   • The email notification informed the student of the CARES ACT Fund acceptance process. The student needed to agree to comply with the terms of the CARES ACT Fund. The email contained a link to an online CARES ACT Funds Award Agreement. The student was given a deadline in which to sign and complete the Agreement in order to obtain the CARES ACT Funds. Completing the acceptance process consisted of submitting a form that contained the student’s name, electronic signature, and the current date.
   • The email notification contained comprehensive information on the CARES ACT Fund. The email indicated the amount of CARE Act funds the student would be receiving. The student was informed that the funds must be used for one of the designated eligible expenses: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. The email informed the student on the process: the student would need to timely sign the statement, agreeing to comply with the terms of the CARES ACT Fund, and submit it to the school. The email stated that upon receiving the student’s signed statement, the school will provide the student with the CARES ACT funds within 14 days in the designated amount.

Here is the email Title IV, CARES Act eligible students received in the second application period concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

Dear Student,

This email is providing you with information on the CARE ACT Funds.

You are qualified to receive the CARE ACT Funds in the amount of $767.52. You are a student who had been previously enrolled at Standard College and you returned the Practical Nursing or LPN to RN Transition program by July 21, 2020.

To obtain the FUNDS, click on the link below to complete the online CARE ACT Funds Award Agreement.

https://forms.gle/FMJ84QMewVbzbRfY8

There is a Friday, July 31, 2020 deadline to complete this process.

The CARE ACT Funds will be provided to you within 14 days after the school receives the signed Award Agreement. You will receive the FUNDS through a Bill.com account, if you set one up, or a check will be mailed to you.

Importantly, by accepting the CARE ACT Funds, you are agreeing to use the funds in one or more of the designated categories: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

Here is more detailed information about the CARE ACT Funds:

The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund-IHE/Student Aid is providing funds to institutions so that they may distribute emergency financial aid grants to eligible students. The CARES Act provides institutions with significant discretion on how to award this emergency assistance to students. Standard College had previously distributed funds to Title IV eligible, enrolled students, who were actively taking courses in the Practical Nursing Program or the LPN to RN Transition Program as of May 14, 2020. This email will provide you with information on who is eligible to receive the funds and the process the school will use to administer the funds.

Who is eligible?

The funds will be distributed to Title IV eligible, currently enrolled students, actively taking courses in one of Standard College’s nursing programs as of May 14, 2020, or to a student who had been enrolled prior to May 14, 2020 and returned to the nursing program by July 21, 2020.

Title IV eligibility is a threshold requirement of the CARES ACT; it is not a decision made by Standard College. The school will determine a student’s Title IV eligibility based upon whether (1) the student is currently receiving financial aid or (2) the student applied for and was determined eligible to receive financial aid, but opted not to use it. Please note that financial aid consists of grants or loans provided as a result of completing the FAFSA application. “Currently enrolled students” is defined as a student who is actively taking classes at Standard College as of the date of this email.

How can I gain eligibility?

If you did not receive financial aid for the 2019-2020 award year and wish to be considered for CARES ACT Funds, you must submit the 2019-2020 or the 2020-2021 FAFSA by Friday, July 24, 2020. Students can submit the FAFSA online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The school code is 042210.

What do I need to do if I am eligible?

On July 29, 2020, eligible students received an email from the school. The email contains a letter signed by the school, identifying the amount of funds you have been determined to receive. The letter will identify the designated expenses in which the funds are to be used. Designated expenses consist of food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare. If you wish to receive the funds, you must sign the letter electronically and agree to comply with the terms of the CARES ACT Funds, i.e., to use the funds in one or more of the designated categories. You will return the signed letter by email to the school by the deadline. Upon receiving your signed letter, the school will provide you with funds from the CARES ACT Fund in the appropriate amount. You will receive the FUNDS through the Bill.com account, if you had previously set one up, or a check will be mailed to you.

How is the school determining the amount of funds I will receive?

* The school previously distributed 20% of the funds to PELL Grant recipients. The Pell grant is awarded to eligible students who display an “exceptional financial need,” as determined by the U.S. Department of Education. The Department has encouraged institutions to prioritize distribution of the CARES Act Funds to students with the greatest need. For this reason, the school is providing Pell Grant recipients with additional funds as a result of their demonstration of significant need.

* The school set aside 5% of the funds as reserves for students who do not initially qualify for the funds, but can demonstrate that they are in fact Title IV eligible. As a student who was previously enrolled at Standard College and returned to the nursing program by July 21, 2020, you fall into the category of students who are receiving part of the reserves. You will receive the same amount of CARE ACT Funds now, as you would have received, had you been enrolled in the program on May 14, 2020.

* The remaining 75% of CARES ACT funds had been divided equally among all students currently enrolled on May 14, 2020 who established Title IV eligibility (PELL and Loan recipients). For instance, the school received $258,154.00 CARES ACT Funds. 5% was set aside as the reserve in the amount of $12,907.72. The amount of $49,049.35 was divided equally among the total number of Standard College currently enrolled Title IV eligible PELL Grant recipients. This left the school with a balance of $196,197.42. The balance of $196,197.42 was equally divided by the total number of Standard College currently enrolled Title IV eligible students (PELL and Loan Recipients).

We hope these funds help you and your family during these unprecedented and challenging times.

We wish you the best in the program, and to continue to stay safe.

Sincerely,

Heather Ettus, J.D.
Deputy Executive Director
Standard Healthcare Services College of Nursing