CARES Act Grant at the University of La Verne

The application for the CARES Act is now closed. Funding related to the CARES Act has been exhausted at the University of La Verne as of Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

As part of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, the University of La Verne received emergency relief funds, a portion of which provided emergency grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants were intended to cover unexpected expenses related to education such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

To have qualified for a CARES grant, students must have been enrolled in eligible terms/semesters. They must also be a US citizen and have a FAFSA on file, demonstrating their eligibility to receive federal financial aid. International and undocumented students were not eligible for these awards. These requirements are determined by the U.S. Department of Education, and the university is required by law to abide by them in allocating this federal funding.

The maximum amount of emergency assistance that was provided by this grant was $1,500, with documentation of expenses required for all requests over $1,000.

Public Reporting and Disclosure Information

Last updated 1/8/21

Per U.S. Department of Education guidance released May 6, 2020, the University of La Verne is required to publish the following information about the administration of funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

The University of La Verne signed and returned the Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to the U.S. Department of Education on April 13, 2020. The university intends to use no less than 50% of the funds received under Section 18004 (a) (1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
The University of La Verne received $2,829,489 from the Department of Education to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the following dates:
6/02/2020: $1,540,004
8/12/2020: $1,877,281
9/30/2020: $2,198,763
12/31/2020: $2,829,489
The estimated 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 is 4,555.
The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the following dates:
6/02/2020: 1,954
8/12/2020: 2,262
9/30/2020: 2,439
12/31/2020: 2,916
The University of La Verne used an application process to award the Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students.
Students received an email on May 7, 2020 notifying them of the availability of the CARES Act Emergency Grant Fund. The email outlined the criteria and informed students that the CARES Act Emergency Grants are to help cover students’ unexpected expenses resulting from the campus disruption such as food, housing, technology needs, course material, childcare expenses, medical expenses and other expenses. Students were informed they could apply for the grant by submitting an application in the La Verne Portal. Once students apply and attest that their request is related to the campus disruption caused by COVID19, staff review the application and if eligible, a grant up to $1,500 is awarded. Additional information related to the CARES Grant and FAQs can be found at https://laverne.edu/accounts/cares/.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question Am I eligible?

To be eligible for a CARES emergency student grant, you must:

Be a US citizen or an eligible noncitizen
Have a completed 2020-21 FAFSA on file, demonstrating your eligibility to receive federal financial aid. If you have not completed a 2020-21 FAFSA, please complete a FAFSA for the 2020-21 financial aid year and allow 3 to 4 business days for the Office of Financial Aid to process your application prior to applying for the CARES grant.
Be currently enrolled in a degree-seeking University of La Verne program

Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education does not allow these funds to be used for international students, undocumented students, non-matriculated students, or students enrolled in distance-only degree programs.

Question Are graduates students eligible for the grant?

Yes, these funds can be awarded to graduate and professional students pursuing degree programs and enrolled at the University of La Verne.

Question How much can I ask for?

Maximum award is $1,500. Documentation of expenses is required for all requests over $1,000.

Question Why can’t I request more than $1,500?

Funds are limited, and we need to ensure that we meet the critical needs of as many students as possible.

Question What types of expenses are covered by the CARES grant?

CARES Act funding is intended to assist with unexpected education-related expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 crisis declared by the president of the United States on Friday, March 13. These may include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

Examples of what qualifies:

Food – purchase of groceries/meals when university dining halls closed
Housing – expenses associated with temporary lodging arrangements when university residence halls were closed
Technology – computer hardware or software required for a particular class which the student did not already have and couldn’t reasonably obtain from the university in a timely manner
Transportation – cost of additional trip(s) to/from your campus due to the migration of courses online or the cost of shipping your household goods home if you did not return to campus
Other –ex. childcare or medical expenses if they were incurred because of the disruption in campus operations

Examples of what does not qualify:

Lost wages (e.g. students or parent’s loss of income impacting ability to pay tuition and fees)
Expenses you would have incurred even if campus operation had not been disrupted.

Question What kind of documentation do I have to provide?

If your grant request is over $1,000, you must provide documentation of your expenses. These can include rental or lease agreements, invoices, receipts, or mileage calculations. If you cannot provide documentation, please explain why in the appropriate box on the application.

Question How do I apply? Is there a deadline?

The application for the CARES Act is now closed. Funding related to the CARES Act has been exhausted at the University of La Verne as of Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

Grants were reviewed on a rolling basis until funds ran out.

Question How soon can I expect a response?

We will process the applications as quickly as possible and will deliver funds to eligible students within 7–14 business days. Students who do not qualify for a grant will receive a response within the same time frame.

Question If my application is approved, how will the funds be sent to me?

CARES grants will be processed through the Office of Student Accounts. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to log in to the La Verne Portal and enroll in direct deposit now so that the funds can be disbursed directly to your account. Here are complete instructions for how to do so. If you do not have direct deposit set up, a paper check will be mailed to the physical address you provided in La Verne Portal.

Question Will these funds affect the rest of my financial aid package?

No. This is an emergency grant to help you manage unexpected expenses related to the COVID-19 crisis, and it will not have any impact on other financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

Question What if I still have an account balance?

Any CARES Act funds awarded will be paid to you directly, and do not have to be applied to outstanding balances owed to the University of La Verne. Such balances will remain the responsibility of the student.

Question Will I be expected to pay the money back?

No, the funds are yours to keep.

Question Are CARES Act grants taxable?

No. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stated in a FAQ document that these emergency funds provided to students will not count as taxable income.

Question Can I apply for funding more than once?

You may fill out the application for any given semester/term only once. If funding is still available after the semester/term ends, you may submit a new grant application for expenses related to a future semester/term at a later date, to be announced.

Question I don’t qualify for a CARES grant. What other resources are available to me?

All ULV students are welcome to apply for a grant from the ULV Student Emergency Fund. Complete details and the online application form are available here. Students who have already received a grant from the ULV Student Emergency Fund may be able to apply again for additional funding.

Question Help! I have more questions and/or need more help with my finances. Who can I talk to?

For any additional questions regarding CARES Act grants, please email ulvcares@laverne.edu and we will do our best to help you. For more assistance with financial aid issues, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.