< CARES Act Information
CARES Act Report (1st Quarter 2021), March 8, 2021 (revised 3/9/2022)
How ULM is Providing CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students
As part of the agreement ULM signed with the U.S. Department of Education, ULM pledged
to 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.
A total of $2,888,882 has been designated for distribution to students in the form
of Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
ULM determined that 4,205 of its students were 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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
Based on the conditions established by the U.S. Department of Education the following
groups of students are ineligible to receive CARES Act relief aid: (a) dual enrollment
students; (b) students who were enrolled in a 100% online degree program; and (c)
students who are not U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens.
As of March 8, 2021, ULM has awarded $2,888,882 (or 100.0% of the total) in CARES
Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 4,205 students.
ULM distributed aid to students in four phases:
Phase 1 (May 2020). ULM provided $300 to every student eligible to receive federal
student aid to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations that
couldn't be easily documented. The $300 checks were disbursed to 4,154 students, totaling
$1,246,200.
Phase 2 (June 2020). Students who were eligible to receive the standard $300 award
could apply for additional CARES Act support through an application process. To be
considered for additional CARES Act aid, the student had to provide a statement describing
their situation and need. A committee reviewed the applications and awarded students up
to $750 in addition to their initial $300 aid, meaning the maximum amount that a student
was able to receive is $1,050 ($750 + $300). A total of 1,442 students submitted applications
for additional aid. ULM disbursed $403,750 to 1,093 students.
Phase 3 (September 2020). ULM awarded additional CARES Act aid totaling $1,169,000
to current ULM students who were enrolled on March 13, 2020, the date that President
Trump declared a COVID-19 national emergency. Because funds were limited, aid was
distributed only to eligible students with the greatest financial need based on current
financial aid information. A total of 2,125 students (428 graduate & 1,697 undergraduate)
received aid of $250, $500, or $750. The distribution methodology appears below.
Undergraduate Student, Full-Time ($250, $500, or $750)
· $750: Pell Eligible (EFC = 0)
· $500: Pell Eligible (EFC > 0)
· $250: Not Pell Eligible (EFC < 12,000)
Undergraduate Student, Less than Full-Time ($250 or $500)
· $500: Pell Eligible (EFC = 0)
· $250: Pell Eligible (EFC > 0)
Graduate Student, Full-Time ($500)
Phase 4 (March 2021). In December 2020, ULM solicited applications from those students
who were in a difficult financial situation and in need of additional aid. Those students
who met the criteria established by the U.S. Department of Education were considered
for CARES Act aid. In January and February 2021, a committee reviewed all applications
and recommended awards for the students determined to have the greatest need. Some
553 students received funding totaling $69,932. The award breakdown is as follows:
546 students received $125, 1 student received $182, and 6 students received $250.
Students who have questions about CARES Act relief aid should email scholarships@ulm.edu
