We hope that you and your family are healthy and safe. We continue to pray for an end to the pandemic and for economic recovery. If you have been following current events, you are aware that the congressional stimulus package, the CARES Act, included dollars intended to provide emergency aid to students enrolled in college. College administrators have been charged with distributing these funds to the students on our campuses that exhibit the highest need. The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has calculated Emmanuel College’s portion to be $435,725 dollars.
Following DOE guidance, these funds will be distributed to students with high need as reflected on the FAFSA filed for the 19-20 year. Pell-eligible students are the students with highest need and have the fewest financial resources available at home to navigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those students, appropriately, will be granted the first round of CARES Act funds. You do not need to take any action to receive these funds. All Pell Grant recipients will receive some assistance ranging from a minimum of $500 to a maximum of $1750. The exact amount of the award will depend on the level of need as defined by individual FAFSA results. Direct deposits or checks will be issued as soon as the funds are made available.
We also recognize that this pandemic has likely resulted in changes to income levels in families that were not originally Pell eligible. Accordingly, we are reserving a portion of the grant funds to assist our students who may need additional help due to unemployment and reduced family income.
If you did not receive a Pell Grant this academic year, but your family has been impacted by a change in household income, you may reach out to the Financial Aid Office at Emmanuel to request to be included in the CARES Act funding distribution. Unfortunately only students that were eligible to file a FAFSA are eligible to receive funds. Eligible students should take the following steps:
- Send an e-mail with the subject line “CARES Act emergency funding appeal” to nstinson@ec.edu.
- Your email should include a summary of the financial changes to the household income. For example: parent was furloughed, laid off, is on unemployment, has incurred an unexpected, significant expense.
- Please attach to your email any supporting documentation you can provide. Examples of supporting documentation may include letters of separation, a letter of unemployment, or pay stubs reflecting a pay cut.
Once your appeal has been received, financial aid staff may reach out to you for additional information. Please be patient as they process the appeal. Unfortunately, the pool of funds is limited, and these appeals will be first-come, first-serve.
We miss all of you and are praying for you daily. Regardless of the challenges we have faced and may still face in the days ahead, we know that God is with us.
