CARES Act Funding for Students

The intent of the Emergency Financial Aid grant program is to assist with costs and financial challenges incurred by students as a result of the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial impacts experienced by students are broad and wide-ranging, including such items as reduced hours of work, transportation costs, unanticipated educational costs, food, and so on. The grant program covers all such costs and needs. The University cannot fund separate or individualized requests for support from students receiving a CARES Act grant.

Per federal guidelines, only students who are or could be eligible to receive federal Title IV financial aid funding — and have the most demonstrated need — may receive CARES Act grants.

Funding is for eligible undergraduate students enrolled at Clark University during the spring 2020 semester, including graduating seniors.

CARES grants are being awarded based on Title IV eligibility and demonstrated need. Not all Title IV-eligible students will receive  CARES funding; it is being distributed to the students with the most need.

Approximately 1,340 undergraduates will meet the criteria to receive CARES Act grants. Grants will be awarded in three amounts — $1,000, $700, and $400 — based on demonstrated financial need as calculated under existing federal Title IV financial aid guidelines.

Grant amounts are calculated based on the demonstrated financial need of eligible students as reported on FAFSA submissions for the current academic year (expected family contribution). Because these grant awards are need-based, not all students will receive a grant. Of the three grant award amounts, the largest grant amounts will be made available to those students who have the greatest financial need.

Clark University will supplement these federal funds to provide emergency need-based support for students who are not eligible for CARES Act funding.

Students who have urgent, unmet financial need but are ineligible for a CARES Act grant may request support through Clark’s Emergency Fund by submitting a detailed explanation of need by email to emergencyfund@clarku.edu.

Yes. You can submit a detailed request to the emergencyfund@clarku.edu. Please include your Clark ID number in your request.

No. Awards will be made directly; eligible students do not need to complete an application to receive CARES Act funds.

The Emergency Financial Aid grant program is designed to get funding to students as quickly as possible. Our goal is to grant the awards the week of May 4–8, 2020.

Yes. In order to provide grant awards to students quickly, it is imperative that all eligible students sign up for direct deposit for these grant payments. Eligible students for whom we do not have direct deposit information on file are being contacted by email the week of April 27.

Students eligible for CARES grants will receive an email with information on whether they already have direct deposit set up for student refunds. The email will include the bank and last four digits of the bank account number. Students should confirm that the bank account information is accurate and up to date.

If a student needs to add or update their direct deposit information, the email will include instructions on how to do this.

Yes, but the Clark Student Accounts office needs the student’s written permission for refunds also to be sent to the student’s bank account on file. (The CARES Act grants are covered under “refunds.”)

Once Student Accounts has the student’s permission, they will coordinate with the Payroll office to set up this direct deposit, and then let the student know this is ready.

Do not send banking information via email; it is not secure. Only provide the bank name and the last four digits of the account number.

Note that in the future, all refunds will be sent to this bank account.

A student can check their refund address through CUWeb:

• Log into CUWeb
• Click the Personal Information Tab from the main page
• Select Update Address(es) and Phone(s)
• Select Refund Address from the drop-down menu at the bottom of the page
• Submit
• Enter the refund address. Note: “Valid from this date” is a required field.
• Submit

CARES Act emergency funding is not to be confused with Clark University financial aid for the 2020–21 academic year. As we typically do at this time of year, we are currently putting financial aid packages together for returning students and anticipate releasing them by late May. At that time there will be a separate Clark COVID-19 Fund established that is intended to further assist families who have been significantly impacted by the pandemic and require additional funding in the form of tuition assistance for the coming academic year.

We anticipate reviewing special circumstances for individual students after grants have been processed. Students looking for an option to appeal can email emergencyfund@clarku.edu.

1. Clark University has signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the required Certification and Agreement. Clark University assures that it has used, or intends 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.
2. The total amount of funds that Clark University will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students: $970,396.
3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to Clark University students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every 45 days thereafter): $970,396.
4. The estimated total number of Clark University students 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 to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act: 1,575.
5. The total number of Clark University students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act: 1,342.
6. The method(s) used by Clark University to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act:
   1. Clark University estimated that a typical student incurred at least $1,000 due to the COVID-19 closing (lost wages, travel, supplies, etc.).
   2. Clark decided to allocate the funds in a way that would benefit the most financially needy students the most.
   3. Awards were made in three tiers of flat dollar amount grants: $1,000, $700, and $400.
   4. Grant amounts were calculated based on the demonstrated financial need of eligible students as reported on FAFSA submissions for the current academic year (expected family contribution).
   5. Additional amounts will be awarded based on need demonstrated through an application process.
7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance Clark University to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants: Students received emails notifying them of the award and instructions for providing direct deposit or check payment addresses. This website was also set up with Frequently Asked Questions for students.
8. Additional information about the Institutional Portion of funds awarded to Clark University under CARES Act Section 18004(a)(1) is included in the following report.

Download Report