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Neighborhood Playhouse HEERF Reporting

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HEERF I: CARES ACT REPORTING ON EMERGENCY FINANCIAL AID GRANTS TO STUDENTS

On March 27, 2020, the Federal government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Pub L. No. 116-136, providing funds to institutions from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to make Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including eligible expenses under s student’s cost of attendance, such as food, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. The law requires institutions to report certain information related to the use of these funds.  The following information is reported for the period, May 19, 2020 to April 7th, 2021. 

 

  1. This statement shall serve to acknowledge that our institution signed and returned to the US Department of Education the Certification and Agreement - Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.  We further attest that our institution has used, and/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.

  1. The total amount of funds that the institution has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Student is $30,491.

  1. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of May 29, 2020, is $30,491. 

  1. The estimated total number of students at our institution 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 is 31.

  1. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to date is 25.

  1. The following is the method used by our institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much each student has received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. The Neighborhood Playhouse identified all currently enrolled students within the school’s system who met the eligibility guidelines for a valid FAFSA application.  Each of these student’s received an email with an application to apply for the Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CARES Act, Pub L. No. 116-136. The intention was to split the funds evenly, but this would have over-awarded certain applicants. Applicants requested amounts were ranked, and the bottom 20% received their full request. The remaining 80% of applicants received an equal distribution of the remaining funds.

  1. The following instructions/directions/guidance was provided by our institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants. Please click here for a record of The Neighborhood Playhouse's correspondence to students. 

  2. As of July 6th, 2020 all funds have been fully spent. 

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HEERF II: CORONAVIUS RESPONSE AND RELIEF SUPPLLEMMENTAL APPOROPRIATIONS ACT 

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) that was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. Schools received allocations to use for emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the Coronavirus or to be used for any component of a student’s cost of attendance. Congress directed that this funding be distributed to students with the exceptional financial need.

The CRRSA Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. One section of the CRRSA Act allocated additional funding to the Higher Education Emergency Relief fund and sent money to schools to use for emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related the coronavirus. In accordance with federal requirements, the Neighborhood Playhouse is reporting the following information about its distribution of the HEERF II grants.

1. An acknowledgement that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the CRRSAA to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

Institutions who received HEERF I grant funds under the CARES Act were not required to submit an application for the HEERF II grant. The Neighborhood Playhouse has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the CRRSAA program to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. 

2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution's Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA.

The Neighborhood Playhouse has been awarded $30,491.

3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under the CRRSAA as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the initial report and every calendar quarter thereafter).

As of March 31st, 2021, The Neighborhood Playhouse has distributed $30,491 under the HEERF II CRRSAA grant.

4. The estimated total number of students at the institution that are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA.

CRRSAA required that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grant in award financial aid grants to students. However, students do not need to be only Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants. 

As of March 31st, 2021, The Neighborhood Playhouse estimates 34 students who were eligible to receive the HEERF II CRRSAA grant.

5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under the CRRSAA.

As of March 31st, 2021, 34 students have received the HEERF II CRRSAA grant.

6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under the CRRSAA.

The Neighborhood Playhouse further acknowledges that it must prioritize grants to students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants. However, students do not need to be Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants.

Awards were distributed on a tiered approach. Funds were awarded first to students who have received the Pell grant. We have used the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine students eligibility. Once these students have been awarded, The Neighborhood Playhouse awarded the remaining funds to each student regardless if they have completed a FAFSA. International students were excluded from this grant since ED has not issued written guidance to clarify whether or not undocumented, DACA, or international students may receive these funds.

All eligible students received an email from the school letting them know of their award and to verify their mailing address. The Neighborhood Playhouse had cut manual checks to all eligible students and sent it out by mail.

7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

The communication to our students who received awards can be found here.

**As of March 31st, 2021 all funds have been fully awarded. 

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HEERF III: THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

The American Rescue Plan (ARP), which was signed into law in March 2021, provides economic relief in response to COVID-19. Included in the legislation is the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III), which provides funding to higher education institutions across the country to distribute to students with financial need.

Eligible student groups include citizens, permanent residents, international students, refugees, asylum seekers, DACA recipients, other DREAMers and similar undocumented students. The ARP requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need and authorizes grants to students enrolled in both campus and online programs.

ARP funds are in addition to funds previously authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), 2021, and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, 2020. 

1. An acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the ARP (a)(1) program to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

Institutions who received HEERF I grant funds under the CARES Act were not required to submit an application for the HEERF II grant. The Neighborhood Playhouse has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the ARP program to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. 

2. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the ARP (a)(1) program.

The Neighborhood Playhouse has been awarded $82,985.

3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under the ARP (a)(1) program as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the initial report and every calendar quarter thereafter).

As of December 31st, 2021, The Neighborhood Playhouse has distributed $82,985 under the HEERF III ARP grant.

4. The estimated total number of students at the institution that is eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the ARP (a)(1) program.

ARP required that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grant in award financial aid grants to students. However, students do not need to be only Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants. 

As of December 31st, 2021, The Neighborhood Playhouse estimates 82 students who were eligible to receive the HEERF III ARP grant.

5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under the ARP (a)(1) program.

As of December 31st, 2021, 82 students have received the HEERF III ARP grant.

6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under the ARP (a)(1) program.

The Neighborhood Playhouse prioritizes grants to students with exceptional need. Such as students with lower EFCs. However, students do not need to be Pell recipients or students who are eligible for Pell grants, including if they were undocumented or international students. The Neighborhood Playhouse has begun awarding the HEERF III grant to active students in June 2021. All remaining funds will be disbursed to our first year students around October 2021.

Awards were distributed on a tiered approach. We have used the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) to determine students eligibility. Once these students have been awarded, The Neighborhood Playhouse awarded the remaining funds to each student regardless if they have completed a FAFSA. This includes undocumented, DACA, or international students. 

All eligible students received an email from the school letting them know of their award and to verify their mailing address. The Neighborhood Playhouse had cut manual checks to all eligible students and sent it out by mail.

7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

The communication to our students who received awards can be found here.

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Website Updated: October 8th, 2021