Reed College
Reed College

HEERF (CARES Act) Federal Reporting Requirements

The following information is provided by Reed College as required by the Department of Education in order to comply with the reporting requirements under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) Reporting.

As required by the United States Department of Education, this page is meant to provide public information about Reed's participation in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 and specifically the portion of the ARP Act that pertains to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III). The Department of Education has directed us to supply the following information:

1. An acknowledgement that Reed College signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement and assurance that Reed has, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under the ARP Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students:

On April 16, 2020 Reed College signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under ARP to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. For Reed, that amount was $1,104,656. In addition, Reed has provided, and will continue to provide institutional funds to students who are not eligible for ARP Act funds, for expenses not covered by the ARP Act, and when ARP Act funds are exhausted through Reed's Emergency Grant program.

2. The total amount of funds that Reed College has received from the Department of Education pursuant to the institution's Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the ARP Act:

Reed's total HEERF III allocation is $2,209,310. Of that amount $1,104,656, was/will be disbursed to students in the form of emergency aid grants. The remaining $1,104,654 was/will be used to relieve pandemic related expenses incurred by the college.

3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under the ARP Act as of the date of submission (calendar quarterly):

4. The estimated total number of students at the institution who are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the ARP Act:

Because ARP funding does not require students to be Title IV eligible, an estimated 1504 students could be eligible to receive HEERF III funding. Reed does not intend to distribute funds to every eligible student. Instead, we will target delivery to students with the highest levels of financial aid as described below.

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

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 Act:

Reed College has received the final round of federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF III) authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Public Law 117-2. These funds are provided to support institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The student portion of this funding will be used to provide direct payments to eligible students to assist with any component of their cost of attendance and/or emergency costs that arise due to the coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, and health (including mental health) care.

Currently enrolled students may be eligible for emergency financial aid grants from HEERF III, regardless of whether they completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or are eligible for federal aid. This means that international, DACA, and undocumented students may be eligible to receive HEERF III funding.

To equitably distribute HEERF III funds to students, payments will be allocated in two ways:

1) Automatic direct payment

Direct payment will be made to students who are currently receiving federal Pell grant funds and/or need-based Reed grant funds:

  • Federal Pell grant recipients will receive an automatic payment of $2300
  • All other need-based Reed Grant aid recipients will receive an automatic payment of $1120.

Students qualifying for the automatic direct payment will be notified by the Financial Aid Office via email. You will be required to electronically acknowledge acceptance of these funds. Receipts or other documentation will not be required. You will be given the option to receive the payment directly to your bank account or you may elect to have the payment applied to your Reed student account.

2) Application process

Enrolled students who

  1. do not currently receive federal Pell grant funds or need-based Reed grant funds and
  2. are experiencing financial hardship may apply for HEERF III assistance through the Reed Emergency Fund application process. Documentation will be required.

Students who

  1. qualify for the automatic direct payment AND have expenses in excess of the amount of the direct payment, may apply for Reed funding through the Reed Emergency Fund application process. Documentation will be required.

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

Reed College provided the following instructions, directions, and guidance to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants:

  • Announcement to general student body
  • Individual emails sent to students eligible for automatic payment with instructions on how to certify and acknowledge expenses were incurred and to direct their payment to their bank account, student account, or physical check
  • Notification to students from Business Office when funds were deposited into student account, bank account or mailed