WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY’S

compliance with the

CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC
SECURITY ACT (CARES Act)

(Last updated December 31, 2020)

 

In compliance with the reporting requirements of the CARES Act, Weber State University is reporting the following information:

1. The university signed and submitted the certification of agreement with the United States Department of Education on April 14, 2020 and agreed that no less than 50% of the funds received will go to students to provide emergency financial aid grants. Funds were available to draw-down as of April 24, 2020.

2. WSU will receive a total of $5,857,113 to help students who have incurred expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare).

3. A total of $4,077,487 Emergency Financial Aid Grant funds under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act were distributed to students by December 31, 2020.

4. As of December 31, 2020 a total of 9,869 current students at WSU were eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

5. A total of 7,272 students have received Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

6. The methodology used by WSU to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act and the amount disbursed was calculated for each semester as follows:

Spring Semester 2020 Disbursements

A portion of the grant funds are to be used for emergency purposes such as food insecurity, housing assistance, course materials, technology or equipment to support online learning or attending class, health care cost, child care cost, and “other” expenses incurred as a result of the campus operations being disrupted. The method used to determine which students would receive emergency funds and how much, was by requiring individuals to submit an electronic form listing their expenses. The form can be found on the WSU CARES Act FAQs web page:
https://weber.edu/FinancialAid/cares-act-faq.html

Summer Semester 2020 Disbursements

In an effort to provide the most benefit to the most students based on likely need, grant funds were provided to students whom, due to the timing of their enrollment, the university determined most likely suffered expenses due to the disruption. All students who received funds had to be federal financial aid-eligible. A formula was used that factored whether the student was a student during the time of campus disruption and whether the student was enrolled summer semester combined with their estimated family contribution (EFC). The formula excludes students who were enrolled in exclusively online programs.

Fall Semester 2020 Disbursements

In an effort to provide the most benefit to the most students based on likely need, grant funds were provided to students whom, due to the timing of their enrollment, the university determined most likely suffered expenses due to the disruption. All students who received funds had to be federal financial aid-eligible. A formula was used that factored whether the student was a student during the time of campus disruption and whether the student was enrolled fall semester combined with their estimated family contribution (EFC). The formula excludes students who were enrolled exclusively in online programs.

7. The following instructions, directions, and/or guidance were given to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants disbursed by WSU: