Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (HEERF III) Disclosures
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The ARP Act requires the university to publish the following disclosures to explain how much funding we received and how we used it.
Emergency Financial Aid Grants
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. As of March 31, 2021, we have not yet received our Federal Grant Award Notification to utilize the student and institutional portions of HEERF III funding. We are also waiting for additional clarification regarding appropriate use of funds.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. On May 16, 2021, MTSU received our Grant Award Notification (GAN) from the U.S. Department of Education related to HEERF III funding.
MTSU will receive a total of $51,043,433 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-19 related institutional expenses and to provide emergency grants to students. Of this amount, MTSU must minimally expend $25,722,169 to students.
As of June 30, 2021, MTSU is still determining student eligibility requirements for HEERF III funding. Federal guidelines require institutions to prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Federal Pell Grants or are undergraduates with extraordinary financial circumstances. Institutions can also establish additional eligibility requirements. We anticipate identifying eligible students and awarding HEERF III funds after the Fall 2021 census date of September 5, 2021. In the interim, we are still in the process of completing the awarding of HEERF II funding to students.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021. On May 16, 2021, MTSU received our Grant Award Notification (GAN) from the U.S. Department of Education related to HEERF III funding.
MTSU will receive a total of $51,043,433 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-19 related institutional expenses and to provide emergency grants to students. Of this amount, MTSU must minimally expend $25,722,169 to students.
After the Fall 2021 census date, MTSU identified 18,683 students who are eligible to be considered for HEERF III funds based on federal criteria and additional local requirements listed below. Refunds have been issued to all eligible students who are enrolled in Fall 2021 full-term coursework or A1 coursework (1st seven weeks of the Fall 2021 semester) who had previously signed up for direct deposit. There has been a delay in issuing manual refund checks to the remaining students to allow them time to sign up for direct deposit and/or verify the accuracy of their mailing addresses. Refunds to eligible students who are exclusively enrolled in Fall 2021 A2 coursework (last seven weeks of the Fall 2021 semester) will begin receiving their refunds after the A2 census date.
As of September 30, 2021, MTSU has disbursed $25,576,000 to 18,659 students through ARP Act / HEERF III funding.
Based on guidance received from the U.S. Department of Education regarding eligibility requirements and the allowance of local flexibility, students must meet the following requirements to be considered for HEERF III funding at MTSU:
- Students must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, certificate program, or teacher licensure.
- Priority will be given to students with exceptional need. For undergraduate and graduate students, a 2021-22 FAFSA expected family contribution (EFC) less than 5847 will be used to determine exceptional need. The use of EFC will not be considered if there are outstanding FAFSA verification related requirements.
- Refugees, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, other DREAMers and similar undocumented students, and international students will be eligible for the base award.
The following chart represents a breakdown of how the student portion of HEERF III funding has been authorized through September 30, 2021:
| CATEGORY | STUDENTS AWARDED | AMOUNT AWARDED | TOTAL AWARDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate: Base | 10,359 | $1,000.00 | $10,359,000.00 |
| Undergraduate: Base+ Exceptional Need | 6,070 | $2,000.00 | $12,140,000.00 |
| Graduate: Base | 1,404 | $1,000.00 | $1,404,000.00 |
| Graduate: Base + Exceptional Need | 850 | $2,000.00 | $1,700,000.00 |
| TOTALS | 18,683 | $25,603,000.00 |
Students awarded HEERF III funding receive the following notification from the MTSU Bursar:
You are eligible to receive a federal emergency financial aid grant as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), also known as HEERF III funds, which was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The funding is intended for your use in meeting expenses related to any component of your financial aid cost of attendance or emergency costs during Fall 2021 due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care, and childcare. Please refer to https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/heerf-3.php for additional information, which is updated quarterly.
You will minimally receive an award of $1,000. As required by the ARP Act, prioritization will be given to students with exceptional need. At MTSU, if you have a 2021-2022 FAFSA EFC <= 5846 and verification of the EFC was completed (if required), your award will be $2,000.
You are not required to provide receipts in regard to use of funds. The amount to be refunded is the full amount of the grant and no outstanding balances owed to MTSU have been deducted from the grant payment.
Note: This update is related to subsequent adjustments / awarding beyond the previous September 30, 2021 disclosure as noted below.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.
On May 16, 2021, MTSU received our Grant Award Notification (GAN) from the U.S. Department of Education related to HEERF III funding. MTSU will receive a total of $51,043,433 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-19 related institutional expenses and to provide emergency grants to students. Of this amount, MTSU must minimally expend $25,722,169 to students.
MTSU has identified 18,731 students who were eligible to be considered for HEERF III funds based on federal criteria and additional local requirements listed below.
Subsequent to the September 30, 2021 disclosure, $4,000 HEERF III refunds were canceled due to non-attendance including one award of $2,000 to an undergraduate student and two awards of $1,000 to graduate students. The amount of $4,000 plus the prior balance to award of $119,169.00 equaled $123,169.00 to award in order to fully utilize the student portion of our ARP Act / HEERF III allocation. Given that we had insufficient funds to award all remaining students, priority was given based on exceptional need as defined below.
As of December 31, 2021, MTSU has fully disbursed the student portion allocation of ARP Act / HEERF III funding of $25,722,169 to 18,695 students through ARP Act / HEERF III funding.
Based on guidance received from the U.S. Department of Education regarding eligibility requirements and the allowance of local flexibility, students must meet the following requirements to be considered for HEERF III funding at MTSU:
- Students must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, certificate program, or teacher licensure.
- Priority will be given to students with exceptional need. For undergraduate and graduate students, a 2021-22 FAFSA expected family contribution (EFC) less than 5847 will be used to determine exceptional need. The use of EFC will not be considered if there are outstanding FAFSA verification related requirements.
- Refugees, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, other DREAMers and similar undocumented students, and international students will be eligible for the base award.
The following chart represents a breakdown of how the student portion of HEERF III funding has been authorized through December 31, 2021:
| CATEGORY | STUDENTS AWARDED | AMOUNT AWARDED | TOTAL AWARDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate: Base | 10,273 | $1,000.00 | $10,273,000.00 |
| Undergraduate: Base+ Exceptional Need | 6,167 | $2,000.00 | $12,334,000.00 |
| Undergraduate: Base + Exceptional Need – Prorated | 1 | $1,169.00 | $1,169.00 |
| Graduate: Base | 1,394 | $1,000.00 | $1,394,000.00 |
| Graduate: Base + Exceptional Need | 860 | $2,000.00 | $1,720,000.00 |
| TOTALS | 18,695 | $25,722,169.00 |
Students awarded HEERF III funding receive the following notification from the MTSU Bursar:
You are eligible to receive a federal emergency financial aid grant as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), also known as HEERF III funds, which was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The funding is intended for your use in meeting expenses related to any component of your financial aid cost of attendance or emergency costs during Fall 2021 due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care, and childcare. Please refer to https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/heerf-3/ for additional information, which is updated quarterly.
You will minimally receive an award of $1,000. As required by the ARP Act, prioritization will be given to students with exceptional need. At MTSU, if you have a 2021-2022 FAFSA EFC <= 5846 and verification of the EFC was completed (if required), your award will be $2,000.
You are not required to provide receipts in regard to use of funds. The amount to be refunded is the full amount of the grant and no outstanding balances owed to MTSU have been deducted from the grant payment.
Note: This update is related to subsequent adjustments / awarding beyond the previous December 31, 2021 disclosure as noted below.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.
On May 16, 2021, MTSU received our Grant Award Notification (GAN) from the U.S. Department of Education related to HEERF III funding. MTSU will receive a total of $51,043,433 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-19 related institutional expenses and to provide emergency grants to students. Of this amount, MTSU must minimally expend $25,722,169 to students.
MTSU has identified 18,731 students who were eligible to be considered for HEERF III funds based on federal criteria and additional local requirements listed below.
On February 18, 2022, the MTSU Bursar canceled 30 stale-dated refunds (total of $33,000) for students who had never cashed their refund checks. On the same day, new awards for a total of $33,000 were provided to 33 eligible students enrolled during Fall 2021 who had not previously received an award, with priority given to those with exceptional need.
As of March 31, 2022, MTSU has fully disbursed the student portion allocation of ARP Act / HEERF III funding of $25,722,169 to 18,692 students (excluding 30 students whose refunds were never cashed and were therefore canceled) through ARP Act / HEERF III funding. 9 students have not been paid due to insufficient funds.
Based on guidance received from the U.S. Department of Education regarding eligibility requirements and the allowance of local flexibility, students must meet the following requirements to be considered for HEERF III funding at MTSU:
- Students must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, certificate program, or teacher licensure.
- Priority will be given to students with exceptional need. For undergraduate and graduate students, a 2021-22 FAFSA expected family contribution (EFC) less than 5847 will be used to determine exceptional need. The use of EFC will not be considered if there are outstanding FAFSA verification related requirements.
- Refugees, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, other DREAMers and similar undocumented students, and international students will be eligible for the base award.
The following chart represents a breakdown of how the student portion of HEERF III funding has been authorized through March 31, 2022:
| CATEGORY | STUDENTS AWARDED | AMOUNT AWARDED | TOTAL AWARDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate: Base | 10,252 | $1,000.00 | $10,252,000.00 |
| Undergraduate: Base+ Exceptional Need | 6,170 | $2,000.00 | $12,340,000.00 |
| Graduate: Base | 1,408 | $1,000.00 | $1,408,000.00 |
| Graduate: Base – Prorated | 1 | $169.00 | $169.00 |
| Graduate: Base + Exceptional Need | 861 | $2,000.00 | $1,722,000.00 |
| TOTALS | 18,692 | $25,722,169.00 |
Students awarded HEERF III funding receive the following notification from the MTSU Bursar:
You are eligible to receive a federal emergency financial aid grant as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), also known as HEERF III funds, which was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The funding is intended for your use in meeting expenses related to any component of your financial aid cost of attendance or emergency costs during Fall 2021 due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care, and childcare. Please refer to https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/heerf-3.php for additional information, which is updated quarterly.
You will minimally receive an award of $1,000. As required by the ARP Act, prioritization will be given to students with exceptional need. At MTSU, if you have a 2021-2022 FAFSA EFC <= 5846 and verification of the EFC was completed (if required), your award will be $2,000.
You are not required to provide receipts in regard to use of funds. The amount to be refunded is the full amount of the grant and no outstanding balances owed to MTSU have been deducted from the grant payment.
Note: Effective with the June 30, 2022 HEERF disclosures for both the institutional and student portions of HEERF funding (CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and ARP Act), the U.S. Department of Education now requires that we combine the disclosures to streamline reporting and create consistency. The combined report is located within the “Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Disclosures / Institutional HEERF Funding” menu option and represents our “official” HEERF disclosure for the quarterly reporting period ending June 30, 2022.
The following “supplemental update” regarding adjustments / awarding of the student portion of HEERF III / ARP Act funds since our March 31, 2022 Disclosure is being provided for the purpose of consistent local monitoring and transparency. Note the April 7, 2022 comment below and the revised chart regarding categories of students / amounts awarded.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.
On May 16, 2021, MTSU received our Grant Award Notification (GAN) from the U.S. Department of Education related to HEERF III funding. MTSU will receive a total of $51,043,433 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-19 related institutional expenses and to provide emergency grants to students. Of this amount, MTSU must minimally expend $25,722,169 to students.
MTSU has identified 18,731 students who were eligible to be considered for HEERF III funds based on federal criteria and additional local requirements listed below.
On April 7, 2022, the MTSU Bursar canceled 3 stale-dated refunds (total of $4,000) for students who had never cashed their refund checks. On the same day, new awards for a total of $4,000 were provided to 4 eligible students enrolled during Fall 2021 who were initially awarded a base award of $1,000 but subsequently completed the FAFSA verification process and were determined to have exceptional need and were therefore awarded an additional $1,000 thus bringing their individual awards to $2,000. Though the chart below has not changed in regard the total HEERF III student allocation disbursement of $25,722,169, the chart has been updated to reflect changes within categories.
As of June 30, 2022, MTSU has fully disbursed the student portion allocation of ARP Act / HEERF III funding of $25,722,169 to 18,689 students (excluding 33 students whose refunds were never cashed and were therefore canceled) through ARP Act / HEERF III funding. 9 students have not been paid due to insufficient funds.
Based on guidance received from the U.S. Department of Education regarding eligibility requirements and the allowance of local flexibility, students must meet the following requirements to be considered for HEERF III funding at MTSU:
- Students must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, certificate program, or teacher licensure.
- Priority will be given to students with exceptional need. For undergraduate and graduate students, a 2021-22 FAFSA expected family contribution (EFC) less than 5847 will be used to determine exceptional need. The use of EFC will not be considered if there are outstanding FAFSA verification related requirements.
- Refugees, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, other DREAMers and similar undocumented students, and international students will be eligible for the base award.
The following chart represents a breakdown of how the student portion of HEERF III funding has been authorized through June 30, 2022:
| CATEGORY | STUDENTS AWARDED | AMOUNT AWARDED | TOTAL AWARDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate: Base | 10,246 | $1,000 | $10,246,000 |
| Undergraduate: Base + Exceptional Need | 6,173 | $2,000 | $12,346,000 |
| Graduate: Base | 1,408 | 1,000 | 1,408,000 |
| Graduate: Base – Prorated | 1 | $169 | $169 |
| Graduate: Base +Exceptional Need | 861 | $2,000 | $1,722,000 |
| TOTALS | 18,689 | $25,722,169 |
Students awarded HEERF III funding receive the following notification from the MTSU Bursar:
You are eligible to receive a federal emergency financial aid grant as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), also known as HEERF III funds, which was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The funding is intended for your use in meeting expenses related to any component of your financial aid cost of attendance or emergency costs during Fall 2021 due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care, and childcare. Please refer to https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/heerf-3/ for additional information, which is updated quarterly.
You will minimally receive an award of $1,000. As required by the ARP Act, prioritization will be given to students with exceptional need. At MTSU, if you have a 2021-2022 FAFSA EFC <= 5846 and verification of the EFC was completed (if required), your award will be $2,000.
You are not required to provide receipts in regard to use of funds. The amount to be refunded is the full amount of the grant and no outstanding balances owed to MTSU have been deducted from the grant payment.
Note: Effective with the June 30, 2022 HEERF disclosures for both the institutional and student portions of HEERF funding (CARES Act, CRRSA Act, and ARP Act), the U.S. Department of Education now requires that we combine the disclosures to streamline reporting and create consistency. The combined report is located within the “Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Disclosures / Institutional HEERF Funding” menu option and represents our “official” HEERF disclosure for the quarterly reporting period ending September 30, 2022.
The following “supplemental update” regarding adjustments / awarding of the student portion of HEERF III / ARP Act funds since our June 30, 2022 Disclosure is being provided for the purpose of consistent local monitoring and transparency. Note the July 28, 2022 comment below and the revised chart regarding categories of students / amounts awarded.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, also known as Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) was signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.
On May 16, 2021, MTSU received our Grant Award Notification (GAN) from the U.S. Department of Education related to HEERF III funding. MTSU will receive a total of $51,043,433 from the U.S. Department of Education to assist with COVID-19 related institutional expenses and to provide emergency grants to students. Of this amount, MTSU must minimally expend $25,722,169 to students.
MTSU has identified 18,731 students who were eligible to be considered for HEERF III funds based on federal criteria and additional local requirements listed below.
On July 28, 2022, the MTSU Bursar canceled 4 stale-dated refunds (total of $5,000) for students who had never cashed their refund checks. On the same day, new awards for a total of $5,000 were provided to 5 eligible students enrolled during Fall 2021 who were each initially awarded a base award of $1,000 but subsequently completed the FAFSA verification process and were determined to have exceptional need and were therefore awarded an additional $1,000 thus bringing their individual awards to $2,000. Though the chart below has not changed in regard the total HEERF III student allocation disbursement of $25,722,169, the chart has been updated to reflect changes within categories.
As of September 30, 2022, MTSU has fully disbursed the student portion allocation of ARP Act / HEERF III funding of $25,722,169 to 18,685 students (excluding 37 students whose refunds were never cashed and were therefore canceled) through ARP Act / HEERF III funding. 9 students have not been paid due to insufficient funds.
Based on guidance received from the U.S. Department of Education regarding eligibility requirements and the allowance of local flexibility, students must meet the following requirements to be considered for HEERF III funding at MTSU:
- Students must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, certificate program, or teacher licensure.
- Priority will be given to students with exceptional need. For undergraduate and graduate students, a 2021-22 FAFSA expected family contribution (EFC) less than 5847 will be used to determine exceptional need. The use of EFC will not be considered if there are outstanding FAFSA verification related requirements.
- Refugees, asylum seekers, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients, other DREAMers and similar undocumented students, and international students will be eligible for the base award.
The following chart represents a breakdown of how the student portion of HEERF III funding has been authorized through June 30, 2022:
| CATEGORY | STUDENTS AWARDED | AMOUNT AWARDED | TOTAL AWARDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate: Base | 10,239 | $1,000 | $10,239,000 |
| Undergraduate: Base + Exceptional Need | 6,177 | $2,000 | $12,354,000 |
| Graduate: Base | 1,407 | 1,000 | 1,407,000 |
| Graduate: Base – Prorated | 1 | $169 | $169 |
| Graduate: Base +Exceptional Need | 861 | $2,000 | $1,722,000 |
| TOTALS | 18,685 | $25,722,169 |
Students awarded HEERF III funding receive the following notification from the MTSU Bursar:
You are eligible to receive a federal emergency financial aid grant as a part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), also known as HEERF III funds, which was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021. The funding is intended for your use in meeting expenses related to any component of your financial aid cost of attendance or emergency costs during Fall 2021 due to coronavirus such as tuition, food, housing, health care, and childcare. Please refer to https://www.mtsu.edu/coronavirus/heerf-3/ for additional information, which is updated quarterly.
You will minimally receive an award of $1,000. As required by the ARP Act, prioritization will be given to students with exceptional need. At MTSU, if you have a 2021-2022 FAFSA EFC <= 5846 and verification of the EFC was completed (if required), your award will be $2,000.
You are not required to provide receipts in regard to use of funds. The amount to be refunded is the full amount of the grant and no outstanding balances owed to MTSU have been deducted from the grant payment.