Federal Coronavirus Relief Funds Reporting | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis College of Art and Design received funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), and the American Rescue Plan (ARP). In compliance with the Department of Education’s reporting requirements, please find the following reports on the distribution of funds:

Minneapolis College of Art and Design also received aid for Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act. Reporting on the student portion of funds received is currently being reviewed and will be updated soon.

Minneapolis College of Art and Design
CARES Act/Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report
For the quarter ending December 31, 2021

Section 1: Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) completed, signed, and returned the Certification and Agreement document to the U.S. Department of Higher Education on April 14, 2020 via the grants.gov website. A second certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on May 14, 2020 to request the funds for institutional support allocated by the Department of Education Under the CARES Act. A third certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on September 18, 2020 to request Strengthening Institutions Program funds under the CARES Act.

In compliance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Education, MCAD will distribute no less than 50% of the student and institutional funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Section 2: As of December 31, 2021, MCAD has received $2,580,302 in CARES funds from the Department of Education.

Section 3: As of December 31, 2021, MCAD has distributed $1,927,228 of funds to students.

Section 4: MCAD estimates that a total of 758 enrolled students fit the eligibility guidelines outlined in Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and by the Department of Education.

Section 5: As of December 31, 2021, 7 MCAD students have received emergency financial aid grant assistance.

Section 6: Senior leadership of the college, in consultation with staff from the finance department, grants office, and financial aid department, determined that the college’s approach to distributing funds would favor students broadly receiving assistance, with higher-need students receiving higher amounts of funding. Based on this, staff developed six categories of eligible students and payout amounts as follows:

Tier one full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $0 and $5,670. Tier one awards are $900 per student. 184 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier two full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $5,671 and $14,999. Tier two awards are $800 per student. 77 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier three full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $15,000 and $29,999. Tier three awards are $700 per student. 71 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier four full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is $30,000 and $49,999. Tier four awards are $500 per student. 40 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier five full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is $50,000 and $74,999. Tier five awards are $300 per student. 24 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier six full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is over $75,000. Tier six awards are $200 per student. 26 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier seven, Part-time undergraduates and MFA international students: For undergraduate students who are attending part-time and international students in the MFA program. Tier seven awards are $500 per student. 17 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier eight, undergraduate and MFA students who did not submit a FAFSA. Tier eight awards are $200 per student. 67 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier nine, students attending the MA program who completed a FAFSA. Tier nine awards are $300 per student. 22 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier ten, students attending the MA program who did not complete a FAFSA. Tier nine awards are $200 per student. 15 students are eligible for this award tier.

Section 7: Communication sent during the quarter.

Email sent to all students on November 5, 2021:

Higher Education Emergency Relief Plan-American Rescue Act - Special Circumstance Outreach

To: Student Financial Aid Recipient
From: Financial Aid Office
Re: Special Circumstance Appeals for FAFSA Filers

«first_name»,

As we approach the end of fall semester and planning for spring semester, we want to make sure you are all aware of a provision that allows MCAD’s Financial Aid Office to consider changes to your financial situation when determining the amount of federal and state financial aid available to you.

We know that some of our students and families have experienced a change to their financial situation during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students with documented “special circumstances” such as a reduction in income or unemployment could be eligible for an adjustment to their federal or state financial aid. For example, some employers during the pandemic have reduced work hours, furloughed employees, or temporarily or permanently closed their businesses and reduced student or family income. Some students or their family members may not have been able to work due to illness or incurred additional health care expenses.

If you have experienced a negative change to your financial situation that differs from what you provided on the FAFSA, the Financial Aid Office may be able to adjust the amount of federal or state financial aid you receive. Other circumstances that can be reviewed may include separation or divorce, death of a family member, reduction or loss of child support, use of pension or retirement plan funds to help cover expenses, or other circumstances you would like to discuss with your financial aid counselor.

I have attached the Special Circumstances form to this email so you can review items that can be reviewed. You can also contact our office to review the nature of your situation and we will review your record and get back to you. Please be sure to include your full name, student ID number, and phone number.

Additional emergency aid resources can be found here. Also, as a student you may be eligible to receive internet services at a reduced cost. More information can be found here.

The Financial Aid Office wants to offer assistance if we are able to, so please contact us if you have any questions at financial_aid@mcad.edu. We appreciate your patience since these require time for us to review each one individually.

Take care,
Laura Link
Director, Financial Aid Office

Minneapolis College of Art and Design
CARES Act/Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report
For the quarter ending September 30, 2021

Section 1: Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) completed, signed, and returned the Certification and Agreement document to the U.S. Department of Higher Education on April 14, 2020 via the grants.gov website. A second certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on May 14, 2020 to request the funds for institutional support allocated by the Department of Education Under the CARES Act. A third certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on September 18, 2020 to request Strengthening Institutions Program funds under the CARES Act.

In compliance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Education, MCAD will distribute no less than 50% of the student and institutional funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Section 2: As of September 30, 2021, MCAD has received $2,580,302 in CARES funds from the Department of Education.

Section 3: As of September 30, 2021, MCAD has distributed $1,828,848 of funds to students.

Section 4: MCAD estimates that a total of 575 enrolled students fit the eligibility guidelines outlined in Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and by the Department of Education.

Section 5: As of September 30, 2021, 561 MCAD students have received emergency financial aid grant assistance.

Section 6: Senior leadership of the college, in consultation with staff from the finance department, grants office, and financial aid department, determined that the college’s approach to distributing funds would favor students broadly receiving assistance, with higher-need students receiving higher amounts of funding. Based on this, staff developed six categories of eligible students and payout amounts as follows:

Tier one full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $0 and $5,670. Tier one awards are $900 per student. 184 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier two full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $5,671 and $14,999. Tier two awards are $800 per student. 77 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier three full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $15,000 and $29,999. Tier three awards are $700 per student. 71 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier four full-time undergraduates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is $30,000 and $49,999. Tier four awards are $500 per student. 40 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier five full-time undergraudates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is $50,000 and $74,999. Tier five awards are $300 per student. 24 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier six full-time undergraudates and MFA: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is over $75,000. Tier six awards are $200 per student. 26 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier seven, Part-time undergraduates and MFA international students: For undergraduate students who are attending part-time and international students in the MFA program. Tier seven awards are $500 per student. 17 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier eight, undergraudate and MFA students who did not submit a FAFSA. Tier eight awards are $200 per student. 67 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier nine, students attending the MA program who completed a FAFSA. Tier nine awards are $300 per student. 22 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier ten, students attending the MA program who did not complete a FAFSA. Tier nine awards are $200 per student. 15 students are eligible for this award tier.

Section 7: Communication sent during the quarter.

Email sent to currently enrolled students on 7/27/2021

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III)

«first_name»,

I hope this note finds you well.

On March 11, 2021, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden. This new law allows additional support for students to assist them with their educational costs.

You have been identified as a student who is eligible to receive money from this fund. The amount of your HEERF III payment will be $«float_in_03_HEERF_3_Awd».

You have the option of having the HEERF III-ARP payment applied to the fall 2021 semester bill OR having the payment made as a direct deposit to your bank account later in September.

For either option select this link to complete the form. When you select the link you will get a message that you need to log onto the site – once you log in, you’ll be routed to the correct page to complete the form.

Option 1: Steps to complete to have the HEERF III-ARP payment applied to your fall semester bill –

Complete the permission form indicating you want your payment applied to your fall semester bill.
Payment will be applied within 24-48 hours of completing the permission form.

OR

Option 2: Steps to have HEERF III-ARP payment directly deposited to your bank account –

Complete the permission form indicating you want your payment directly deposited to your bank account.
Enroll in direct deposit or review/update your existing bank account routing and account number information in MAXPay. You MUST be enrolled in Direct Deposit in MAXPay to receive your award. Failure to enroll in Direct Deposit will result in forfeiture of your award and the funds will be redistributed to other award recipients.
Payments will be disbursed in September and transferred to your account on September 24, 2021.

Please direct questions to student_accounts@mcad.edu.

Stay well.

Laura Link
Director, Financial Aid Office

Email sent to all new Fall 2021 students on 9/21/2022

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III)

«first_name»,

I hope this note finds you well.

On March 11, 2021, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law by President Biden. This new law allows additional support for students to assist them with their educational costs. MCAD is using this money to help students with their expenses during the 2021- 2022 academic year.

You have been identified as a student who is eligible to receive money from this fund. The amount of your HEERF III grant will be $«float_in_03_HEERF_3_Awd».

Steps to have your HEERF III-ARP payment directly deposited to your bank account – September 24, 2021.

Enroll in direct deposit or review/update your existing bank account routing and account number information in MAXPay. You MUST be enrolled in Direct Deposit in MAXPay to receive your award. Failure to enroll in Direct Deposit will result in forfeiture of your award and the funds will be redistributed to other award recipients.
Payments will be disbursed on September 24th.

The amount of your grant has been determined by either the financial information you supplied on your FAFSA or by your degree program. Grant amounts range from $300 - $1,300. Higher grant amounts are awarded to students who have completed the 2021- 2022 FAFSA, and have been awarded the Federal Pell Grant.

Contact the Student Accounts Office at student_accounts@mcad.edu, if you have questions about setting up your bank account information or the payment date. Contact the Financial Aid Office at financial_aid@mcad.edu, if you have any questions about the grant amount you are receiving.

Stay well.

Laura Link
Director, Financial Aid Office

Minneapolis College of Art and Design
CARES Act/Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report
For the quarter ending June 30, 2021

Section 1: Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) completed, signed, and returned the Certification and Agreement document to the U.S. Department of Higher Education on April 14, 2020 via the grants.gov website. A second certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on May 14, 2020 to request the funds for institutional support allocated by the Department of Education Under the CARES Act. A third certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on September 18, 2020 to request Strengthening Institutions Program funds under the CARES Act.

In compliance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Education, MCAD will distribute no less than 50% of the student and institutional funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Section 2: As of June 30, 2021, MCAD has received $2,481,590 in CARES funds from the Department of Education.

Section 3: As of June 30, 2021, MCAD has distributed $1,375,949 of funds to students.

Section 4: MCAD estimates that a total of 617 enrolled students fit the eligibility guidelines outlined in Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and by the Department of Education.

Section 5: As of June 30, 2021, 558 MCAD students have received emergency financial aid grant assistance.

Section 6: Senior leadership of the college, in consultation with staff from the finance department, grants office, and financial aid department, determined that the college’s approach to distributing funds would favor students broadly receiving assistance, with higher-need students receiving higher amounts of funding. Based on this, staff developed six categories of eligible students and payout amounts as follows:

Tier one full-time undergraduates: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $0 and $5,589. Tier one awards are $775 per student. 253 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier two full-time undergraduates: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $5,703 and $18,250. Tier two awards are $675 per student. 153 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier three full-time undergraduates: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is between $18,362 and $47,712. Tier three awards are $550 per student. 101 students are eligible for this award tier.

Tier four full-time undergraduates: For students whose expected family contribution amount based on FAFSA filing is over $50,975. Tier four awards are $450 per student. 88 students are eligible for this award tier

Part-time undergraduates: Eligible part-time undergraduate awards are $350. 7 students are eligible for this award tier.

Master of Fine Arts Students: Full-time eligible students enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program will receive $457.67 apiece. 15 students are eligible for this award tier.

Section 7: On February 23, 2021, the Financial Aid Office sent the following email to students who qualified for an Emergency Grant payment:

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II)

«first_name»,

I hope this note finds you well. On December 27, 2020, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Suppliemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), was signed into law. This new law allows additional support for education. MCAD received the money allocated by this law on Monday, February 22, 2021 and will be making payments directly to students who qualify. The law requires students to be U.S. Citizens as verified by the 2020-2021 FAFSA.

You have been identified as a student who is eligible to receive money from this fund. The amount of your HEERF II payment is included on your financial aid award and can be found by going to myaid.mcad.edu.

HEERF II payments have been posted to your Max account and the Student Accounts Office will be processing direct deposit payments to the bank account you have on record today. It can take 2-3 business days for you to see this deposit in your bank account. Please direct payment questions to student_accounts@mcad.edu.

Stay well.

Laura Link
Director, Financial Aid Office
Minneapolis College of Art and Design

On May 6, 2020 MCAD President Sanjit Sethi sent an email to all enrolled students, as follows:

Dear MCAD Students,

I hope this note finds you well.

As MCAD is committed to supporting all of you during these unprecedented times we have received funds from the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) . This legislation established a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency financial aid grants to eligible* students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus, including eligible expenses related to a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

Please read the below carefully to see if you qualify for any of these funds and how to apply for them.

Who is Eligible?

*HEERF emergency financial aid grants are available to students who are eligible to receive Title IV federal student aid and who have filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

International students and students enrolled in online-only degree programs are not eligible for the HEERF emergency financial aid grant. However, international students and students enrolled in our online Master of Arts programs who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may apply for assistance here MCAD emergency financial assistance.

How do I receive my emergency financial aid grant?

Eligible students must first, complete a brief self-certification form, acknowledging that the funds will be used for expenses related to the cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health and/or child care, resulting from the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

Additionally, students who have not already enrolled in direct deposit through MAXPay must do so in order to receive the HEERF emergency financial aid grant.

To enroll in direct deposit:

Login to your myMCAD student dashboard and click, Launch MAXPay. You will be redirected to your MAXPay account.
From MAXPay, locate the box labeled, Sign up for direct deposit refunds! and click Sign up or, click your name in the upper left hand corner and scroll down to Direct deposit refunds and click Sign up.
From the sidebar menu scroll through the Terms and Conditions and click I agree and Continue.
Select, New bank account information or choose an existing stored bank account from the dropdown menu. Your routing number and account number can easily be located from the bottom of a check or deposit slip (see below). Do not enter your bank/debit card number.

When will I receive my emergency financial aid grant?

Eligible students who have enrolled in direct deposit through MAXPay will receive a notification from Student Accounts once these funds are available for disbursement.

Please direct questions to student_accounts@mcad.edu

All my best,

Sanjit

The text of the email was also posted on mcad.edu.

On May 11, 2020 MCAD’s Director of Financial Aid sent the following email to all students confirmed as eligible for receiving funds (student names and award amounts have been replaced with placeholders below for anonymity). For students who have a parent email address on file, the email was carbon copied to parents.

Dear <STUDENT NAME>,

I hope this note finds you well.

As MCAD is committed to supporting all of you during these unprecedented times we have received funds from the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). This legislation established a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency financial aid grants to eligible students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus, including eligible expenses related to a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

You have been identified as a student who will receive money from this fund. You can review more information about HEERF by going to MCAD News. The amount of funds you will be receiving is <AMOUNT>.

How will you receive the emergency financial aid grant?
Eligible students must first, complete a brief self-certification form, acknowledging that the funds will be used for expenses related to the cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health and/or child care, resulting from the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.
Additionally, students who have not already enrolled in direct deposit through MAXPay must do so in order to receive the HEERF emergency financial aid grant.
To enroll in direct deposit:

1. Login to your myMCAD student dashboard and click, Launch MAXPay. You will be redirected to your MAXPay account.
2. From MAXPay, locate the box labeled, Sign up for direct deposit refunds! and click Sign up or, click your name in the upper left hand corner and scroll down to Direct deposit refunds and click Sign up.
3. From the sidebar menu scroll through the Terms and Conditions and click I agree and Continue.
4. Select, New bank account information or choose an existing stored bank account from the dropdown menu. Your routing number and account number can easily be located from the bottom of a check or deposit slip (see below). Do not enter your bank/debit card number.

When will you receive my emergency financial aid grant?
Eligible students who have enrolled in direct deposit through MAXPay will receive a notification from Student Accounts once these funds are available for disbursement.

Please direct all questions to student_accounts@mcad.edu

Stay well.

MCAD Financial Aid Office

MCAD’s financial aid office sent this message again to any eligible students who had not replied on May 21, 2020.

Minneapolis College of Art and Design
CARES Act/Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Report
For the quarter ending March 31, 2021

Section 1: Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) completed, signed, and returned the Certification and Agreement document to the U.S. Department of Higher Education on April 14, 2020 via the grants.gov website. A second certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on May 14, 2020 to request the funds for institutional support allocated by the Department of Education Under the CARES Act. A third certification and agreement document was submitted via grants.gov on September 18, 2020 to request Strengthening Institutions Program funds under the CARES Act.

In compliance with the guidelines issued by the Department of Education, MCAD will distribute no less than 50% of the student and institutional funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Section 2: Funding amount. As of March 31, 2021, MCAD has received $1,362,468 in CARES funds from the Department of Education.

Section 3: As of March 31, 2021, MCAD has distributed $1,268,917 of funds to students.

Section 4: MCAD estimates that a total of 617 enrolled students fit the eligibility guidelines outlined in Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and by the Department of Education.

Section 5: Students receiving Emergency Financial Aid Grant assistance. As of March 31, 2021, 552 MCAD students have received emergency financial aid grant assistance.