University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
CARES Grant Subaward to University of Baltimore
Direct Aid to Student Cumulative Quarterly Report
April 10, 2021 — Final Report
- The University of Baltimore (UBalt) acknowledges that UMGC signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement on April 13, 2020 and assures that the institution 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. Effective July 1, 2020 UMGC granted to UBalt a portion of its student emergency financial aid grant allotment of CARES Act funding to enable UBalt to provide additional emergency financial assistance to UBalt’s students who have been impacted by disruptions in campus operations due to the coronavirus crisis.
- Of the total amount of funds UMGC received from the Department ($2.6 million) pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students, UMGC has agreed to provide UBalt up to $520,000.
- The total cumulative UMGC Cares Grants distributed by UBalt to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES is $520,000 through March 31, 2021. UBalt's reporting dates were August 11 and September 26, 2020. Beginning September 30, 2020, quarterly reports were published on October 10, 2020, January 10, 2021, and April 10, 2021.
- UBalt estimated the total number of students at the 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 to be:
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- 464 on June 10, 2020 for the summer 2020 semester.
- 2,221 on September 9, 2020 for the fall 2020 semester.
- 2,432 on February 2, 2021 for the fall 2020 semester.
- The total number of students who have received a UBalt CARES Act to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 440.
- UBalt used the following methods to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
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- A student must not have been enrolled in an exclusively online program on or before March 13, 2020.
- The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 Supplemental Agreement (CFDA 84.425E) ((a)(1) Student Aid Portion) removed this requirement and went into effect as of December 27,2020.
- A student must be me meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.
- A student must have filed a 2019–2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for spring and summer 2020 semesters and a 2020–2021 FAFSA for the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters—and must have met the criteria as outlined in section 484-Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to participate in Title IV programs.
- In order to receive emergency grant funding, eligible students must apply online through the UBalt CARES Act application to explain and certify how they were affected by the disruption of campus operations in one or more of the following allowable cost of attendance components: food, housing, course materials, technology, healthcare, and child care.
- Submitted applications are reviewed by selected staff members within the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) and approved grant amounts are determined using a modified version of the 2019–2020 Cost of Attendance (spring/summer 2020 semesters) and 2020-2021 Cost of Attendance (fall 2020 semester/spring 2021 semester).
- For the summer 2020 semester the minimum grant amount is $300, and the maximum grant amount was $1,500.
- For the summer 2020, fall 2020, and spring 2021 semesters, the application was available to students the first day of the term and applications were reviewed after the term add/drop dates.
- Approved grants are processed through the Comptroller of Maryland as check to the students' local address on file or by direct deposit if the student has enrolled.
- A student must not have been enrolled in an exclusively online program on or before March 13, 2020.
- The following steps were taken by UBalt to provide instructions, directions, or guidance to students concerning the UBalt CARES Grant:
- The Office of Financial Aid sent the following email on June 15, 2020 to eligible UBalt CARES Grant students enrolled in the summer 2020 semester:
Dear Student
Based on your summer 2020 semester enrollment and completion of the 2019-2020 FAFSA Application, you may be eligible to apply for federal emergency grant funds. The Office of Financial Aid is overseeing the application process for processing funds available through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The current eligibility requirements are restrictive; therefore, not all applicants will qualify. To review the eligibility requirements and submit an application, please visit UBalt Cares Grant.
Office of Financial Aid
ubcaresactgrants@ubalt.edu - The following email address was created and is overseen the by Office of Financial Aid for all UBalt CARES Grant inquiries and communication of application decisions: ubcaresactgrants@ubalt.edu.
- UBalt published the following website with the application link, grant criteria, and an FAQ: https://www.ubalt.edu/admission/financial-aid/ub-cares-grant.cfm.
- The Office of Financial Aid sent the following email on October 14, 2020 to eligible UBalt CARES Grant students enrolled in the fall 2020 semester:
Dear Student
Based on your fall 2020 semester enrollment and completion of the 2020-2021 FAFSA Application, you may be eligible to apply for federal emergency grant funds. The Office of Financial Aid is overseeing the application process for processing funds available through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
The CARES grant will assist students experiencing financial hardships with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations, including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as (not a complete list):- Assistance with the purchase of food
- Needs related to housing/rent/utilities
- The purchase of course materials
- Technology related needs
- Assistance with health care and/or childcare expenses
For the fall 2020 term students must be:
- A new or continuing student who is currently enrolled at least half-time in a Title IV eligible UBalt degree or certificate program. For fall/spring semesters half-time enrollment is 6 credits.
- Must have filed a 2020-2021 FAFSA Application.
- Be a US citizen or meet the definition of an eligible non-citizen based on federal financial aid requirements.
The current eligibility requirements are restrictive; therefore, not all applicants will qualify. Approved grants must be used to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus that have impacted the student's educational experience. To submit an application please visit UBalt Cares Grant.
Submitted by Mr. Terry C. Richards,
Executive Director - Office of Financial Aid
University of Baltimore
April 10, 2021
You may also view previous UMGC CARES Grant reports.