CARES Act

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Coronavirus (COVID-19)
CARES Act
Important Announcement - Updated 12/14
The CARES Act application is now closed. All funds have been distributed.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) under the federal CARES Act provides money to colleges and universities for emergency grants to students in accordance with the guidelines provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Montgomery County Community College has signed and returned the certification and agreement form, has received $2,148,792 from the Department of Education under the HEERF student portion, and intends to use the funds to provide the mandated amount of emergency financial aid grants to students. The purpose of the money is to award emergency financial assistance to students for unexpected expenses that are a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.

  • Estimated total number of students at Montgomery County Community College eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and therefore eligible to receive an emergency financial aid grant: 4,028
  • Total number of Montgomery County Community College students who have received an emergency financial aid grant as of December 2, 2020: 1,102
  • Total amount that has been distributed to Montgomery County Community College students as of December 2, 2020: $2,148,792
Quarterly Budget and Expenditure Reporting
Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for emergency financial assistance through the CARES Act funding, students must be eligible to participate in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. To determine whether students meet the Title IV federal student aid criteria, Montgomery County Community College is requiring that students have the 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. It usually takes about 20 minutes, and you will also be considered for Federal, State, and institutional financial aid funding. Review next steps for completing the FAFSA.

In order to qualify for emergency financial assistance through the CARES Act funding, students must meet all the criteria:

  1. Be currently enrolled and attending in a degree or certificate program in the fall 2020 semester at Montgomery County Community College. Students who have graduated or withdrawn are not eligible for CARES Act funding. New students must have started attending courses at the College to be considered for emergency grants.
  2. Not be enrolled in elementary or secondary school.
  3. For currently enrolled students, be making satisfactory academic progress.
  4. Not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans.
  5. Not be in default on a Title IV loan.
  6. File "as part of the original financial aid application process" a certification that includes
    • A statement of educational purpose.
    • Student's SSN.
  7. Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen.
  8. Have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges.
  9. Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans in excess of annual or aggregate limits.
  10. Have repaid Title IV loan amounts in excess of annual or aggregate limits if obtained inadvertently.
  11. Have Selective Service registration verified.
  12. Have Social Security Number verified.
  13. Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations.
Eligible Expenses

Eligible expenses are those that are directly related to the disruption of campus operations due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Examples of eligible expenses include:

  • Students who need a laptop because the college moved to online courses.
  • Students who work on campus and now the job is suspended; Funds can be used to pay for expenses because the college changed operationally.
  • Students who use the Children’s Center for childcare that now face an increase in cost for supplemental childcare due to the college’s closed facility.

The following is a list of expenses that can be considered for grant assistance if they were incurred as a direct result of disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.

  • Food and household essentials (cleaning supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, etc.)
  • Utilities
  • Housing (only students who were working on campus whose jobs were suspended due to the closure of campus operations can be considered for housing assistance)
  • Internet access
  • Course materials
  • Healthcare
  • Childcare
  • Technology-related expenses (such as having to buy a computer when courses were moved online or purchasing software to access a course that was moved online)

IMPORTANT: Emergency grants cannot be used to replace a loss of income, applied directly to an outstanding student account balance or used to pay for other expenses that are not directly related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, if you have experienced any of these, there may be options available.

  1. If you have already filed a FAFSA, we encourage you to email to enrollmentservices@mc3.edu with details about your current situation, as it is possible that you might qualify for financial aid reevaluation via Special Conditions processing.
  2. If you have not filed a FAFSA, review next steps for completing the form.
  3. Review the Essential Resources for Students information.

Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the CARES Act.