Beginning in May, Muskegon Community will distribute an additional $120,125 to 450 qualified students through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
Similar to the CARES Act, a portion of this funding is intended to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by COVID-19.
This newest wave of funds will be disbursed through a request process in which students identified factors that demonstrated exceptional financial need related to the pandemic. The individual awards range between $125 and $500.
Last February, MCC awarded $419,400 in HEERF funds to 1,062 qualified students. Those awards were distributed based on the number of Winter 2021 semester hours for which each student is registered. The awards ranged between $150 to $750 per student. To be eligible, each student had to be seeking a degree or certificate from MCC and enrolled in at least one contact hours and have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from FAFSA below $5,712.
The grants may be used for any part the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or childcare.
In all, MCC received $4,751,064 in HEERF Funds through the CRRSAA to be expended by the end of 2021. Of that total, $1,123,675 is to be distributed to students as emergency grants