In late December 2020, federal legislation was passed to provide economic relief to individuals and organizations dealing with the ramifications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This legislation—titled the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act (or CRRSA Act)—provided supplemental funding to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) for colleges and universities in the United States.
Northwest Technical College received $98,277 for student emergency funds as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Act. The CRRSA Act directed that a portion of the HEERF II money must go toward emergency student financial assistance for students with exceptional need. Northwest Technical College distributed these funds through three awarding methods with approximately 62% for students with PELL eligibility, 18.5% for students with EFC of $5712 to $15,000 and 19.5% for students with individual needs not to exceed $500.
Most students attending Northwest Technical College this spring are eligible for one of these awards, but there are ineligible students. Various restrictions on the use of these funds were established through regulatory direction from the federal Department of Education and the Minnesota State Office of the Chancellor. These restrictions mean that several categories of students cannot receive emergency financial assistance, including:
- Concurrent high school students
- Postsecondary enrollment option students (PSEO)
- DACA/DREAM Act Students
- Senior citizens assessed the senior citizen tuition rates enrolled entirely in non-credit courses
- Incarcerated students
- International students with an F1 Visa status in SEVIS
Northwest Technical College is defining students with exceptional need as eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. Pell Grant recipients were identified by the U.S. Department of Education as a priority group for exceptional need.
CRRSAA Supplemental Awards for Pell
Students who received a Federal Pell Grant in the Spring 2021 semester and who were actively enrolled during the semester received a $200 CRRSAA Supplemental Award. Using a headcount of 270 for Spring 2021, $54,200 was distributed on March 25, 2021.
CRRSAA Supplemental Awards with EFC of $5712 to $15,000
Students who have an EFC between $5,712 to $15,000 in the Spring 2021 semester and who were actively enrolled during the semester received a $175 CRRSAA Supplemental Award. Using a headcount of 114 for Spring 2021, $19,950 was distributed on March 25, 2021.
CRRSAA Student Emergency Fund Applications
Remaining funds will be available to students through the online Northwest Technical College Emergency Fund Application. During the spring semester awards of up to $500 were distributed to 47 students totally $23,377.