Carnegie Mellon University

HEERF II Reporting - Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA)

The following information is provided to comply with the Department of Education's HEERF II Reporting requirements. This information is limited to HEERF II funding and does not include any other grant programs.

Reporting Date:  June 30, 2021

Emergency Financial Aid Grants for Students

Carnegie Mellon University acknowledges that it submitted a Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students to the Department of Education and received a supplemental notification of approval on January 19, 2021 for funds designated under Section 314(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Carnegie Mellon was allocated $2,867,543 from the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students as designated under Section 314(a)(1) of CRRSAA.

The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under CRRSAA is $1,182,801, of which $657,456 was distributed in this quarter. 

The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students from CRRSAA is 23,249.  Such estimate is based on the number of students that have been enrolled at Carnegie Mellon on or after March 13, 2020, as described in the Department of Education's final rule, “Eligibility To Receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students Under HEERF” (May 14, 2021, 86 FR 26608).

The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to Students under CRRSAA is 1,442, of which 666 received a grant in this quarter. Carnegie Mellon will continue to award emergency grants until all allocated funds are exhausted.

Carnegie Mellon has established an application process for students to request emergency funds. The application was made available to all eligible students as of March 9, 2021, with a goal of assisting as many students as possible while prioritizing those students with exceptional financial need. Award amounts are determined by Carnegie Mellon based upon a review of the student emergency grant application, the amount requested, and the students demonstrated financial need from their FAFSA.  Generally, students receive grant amounts between $500 and $1,000. As of June 30, 2021, the average grant amount awarded to a student is $820, with an average grant amount of $987 in this quarter.

Carnegie Mellon announced the availability of emergency grants in a message sent to all eligible students on March 9, 2021.  A follow-up message was sent to this same population on May 6, 2021.  Additionally, the university amplified awareness to our student body by adding links to the Financial Assistance Related to COVID-19 page across a number of our student-focused websites and through various communication efforts. All materials indicate that emergency grant funds are able to be used to assist all components of cost of attendance, including tuition, and that awards could be applied directly to a student account, with the student's affirmative consent.

Carnegie Mellon students can visit the Student Financial Services COVID-19 Assistance webpage for additional information and specific guidance regarding Emergency Financial Aid Grants, including eligibility requirements, directions for submitting an application, and answers to frequently asked questions.


Institutional Portion

Carnegie Mellon University received a supplemental notification of approval on January 19, 2021 for funds designated under Section 314(a)(1) of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) to be used for institutional purposes (the "Institutional Portion").  Carnegie Mellon may use these funds to defray expenses associated with coronavirus, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff trainings, and payroll (the "Institutional Costs").

The Institutional Portion allocated to Carnegie Mellon University under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA is $6,177,557.  

For the quarter ending June 30, 2021, the amount of the Institutional Portion utilized by Carnegie Mellon was $2,442,271.  

The Institutional Costs, which were directly related to impacts associated with coronavirus, were used to cover personnel and non-personnel expenses related to testing lab services, enhanced sanitizing services for campus facilities, as well as HR family care proctoring and temporary child care need services.  For more detail, please review the HEERF II Institutional Portion Quarterly Report.

HEERF II Institutional Portion Quarterly Report (PDF)