To All Members of the Campus Community:
Many of you have been waiting for news about the most recent round of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) money, authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSAA), and when and how it will be distributed to Sacramento State students. I am pleased to share that Sacramento State has received $17.8 million in CRRSAA funds (also called HEERF II) to provide grants to students. Congress intends for students to use the funds for expenses – such as food, housing, course materials, healthcare, and childcare – related to the disruption of their studies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we waited for guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, we worked to determine how best to allocate the grants in alignment with guidance from Congress to prioritize grants for students with the most need. The current information we have on file for financial need (FAFSA) is based upon tax returns from 2019, which may not accurately demonstrate the financial challenges our students have faced since March 2020.
Obviously, every student has been affected in one way or another by the pandemic. Therefore, we have worked to ensure that all students will receive relief, while acknowledging that students who currently receive high-need federal financial aid in the form of a Pell grant might continue to have increased need. Therefore, the CRRSAA funds will be allocated to all students in the following manner:
