ARP HEERF III Funding Update

Eligible students selected to receive additional ARP HEERF III funding

Updated Oct. 5, 2021. Initially posted Sept. 2, 2021.

We are excited to announce that Andrews University will receive additional funding authorized by the American Rescue Plan of 2021 (ARP). As mandated by the Plan, Andrews intends to use 50 percent of the total allotment to provide emergency financial aid grants to students enrolled for fall 2020, spring 2021 and fall 2021.

The ARP requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need (such as students who receive Pell Grants) and also authorizes grants to students exclusively enrolled in distance education. This grant is intended to help eligible students cover some expenses related to the cost of attending Andrews University (including tuition, food, housing, health care [including mental health care] or childcare) or for other emergency costs that may have arisen due to the coronavirus. Andrews University had approximately 1,263 Title IV eligible students who may qualify for these funds, and who were enrolled for the spring 2021 semester as of Feb. 9, 2021.

By Sept. 2, 2021, we will have communicated by email with all 61 eligible students who have been selected to receive these additional ARP HEERF III funds. These students were enrolled in classes on the main campus or distance education during the 20–21 school year. Additionally, these students had filed a 2020–21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), were Title IV eligible, and had also documented exceptional need.

To begin the review and confirmation process to determine qualification for these funds, Andrews University ran a report of registered main campus/distance education students who had filed a FAFSA for 2020–2021. Then, to help determine our selection of students who also demonstrated exceptional need, Andrews University used the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), as determined by the FAFSA application. As a result, undergraduate students who were selected were Federal Pell Grant recipients. Graduate students who were selected had a zero (0) EFC.

Of those eligible, we then selected students whose degrees were conferred in August 2021. Of the 61 students who qualified, 16 were undergraduate and 45 were graduate students. Each student will receive $1,000 in ARP grants.

We have also notified these students via email that they were selected to receive ARP grants. Once a qualified student accepts the ARP HEERF III funding, those monies will be disbursed to each student’s account and then delivered by direct deposit (eRefunds) or by paper check to the student’s current statement address. The student also has the option to post to student account to apply towards account balance. If eligible students do not acknowledge the ARP funds by Sept. 15, 2021, they may forfeit the ARP funds award of $1,000.

Students who are eligible should take the following steps to properly accept the ARP HEERF III funding:

1. Open the email you've received from Student Financial Services.
2. Click on the “ARP HEERF Acknowledgment” link in the body of your email.
3. At the link, complete electronic acknowledgement by clicking submit.

Questions can be directed to the Office of Student Financial Services at sfs@andrews.edu.

As of Sept. 30, 2021, $62,000 has been distributed to 62 students who have been selected to receive the ARP HEERF III funds. These students were enrolled in classes on the main campus or through distance education during the spring 2021 semester and received degrees conferred in August 2021. Additionally, these students had filed a 2020–21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) during the previous school year, were Title IV eligible, and had also documented exceptional need.

This is the initial quarterly budget and expenditure (Sept. 30, 2021) report that covers HEERF Fund expenditures for Section 2003 of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) (a)(1) Institutional Portion funds. You may view the submitted PDF here.