CRRSA HEERF II Grant Ending June 30, 2021

June 30, 2021

1. Western Washington University (hereafter referred to as “Western”) signed and returned the “Recipient's Funding Certification and Agreement for Federal 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 21, 2020. Western intends to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under the CRRSA (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) to provide Federal Emergency Financial Aid Grants (referred to as Federal CARES grants on Western's campus) to qualified students.
2. The total dollar amount Western received for Federal CRRSA HEERF II Grants from the U.S. Department of Education pursuant to the institution's Certification Agreement referenced above is $5,820,847. Funds were transmitted to Western on January 16, 2021.
3. As of June 30, 2021, the total amount of Federal HEERF II Grants distributed to students under CRRSA is $5,820,847.
4. The estimated total number of Western students eligible to potentially receive Federal HEERF II Grants is 9,966.
5. As of June 30, 2021, the total number of students who received a Federal HEERF II Grants is 4,505.
6. Methods used by Western to select Federal HEERF II recipients were necessarily centered around determining whether students had exceptional financial need for purposes of complying with Federal guidance for awarding Federal HEERF II funds.
   • In accordance with national guidance, the selection priority for the first group of Federal HEERF II recipients went to Federal Pell Grant recipients. By definition, these students had the highest calculated financial need from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
   • In recognition that many non-Pell Grant recipients have exceptional financial need as well, the Financial Aid department invited students to apply for Federal HEERF II funding via an online institutional application and awarded funds on a case-by-case basis to students with exceptional financial need who were undergoing documented financial hardship.
   • Students who applied for Federal HEERF II funds using the institutional application were prioritized for Federal HEERF II funds if they had met their annual maximum Federal Direct Loan borrowing limits and had fewer financial aid options than other students.
   • Students who provided documentation of exceptional need to Financial Aid Counselors during appointments and other advising sessions were awarded Federal HEERF II funds on a case-by-case basis. Financial Aid Counselors nominated students for Federal HEERF II funds to the Financial Aid Federal HEERF II Committee, with the Committee rendering final awarding decisions.
   • Students who were referred by campus partners for Federal HEERF II consideration were invited to provide documentation of exceptional need and considered on a case-by-case basis by Financial Aid Counselors and the Financial Aid Federal HEERF II Committee, with the Committee rendering final awarding decisions.

7. Instructions, directions and guidance provided by Western’s Financial Aid Department for Federal HEERF II awarding were made on March 15, 2021 via the Financial Aid website and direct e-mail.

   On April 12, 2021, e-mails were sent to all eligible students from the Financial Aid Department that described the Federal CRRSA Act, Federal HEERF II, and informed students that the Federal CRRSA HEERF II Grant Application would be open from 8:00 a.m. on 4/12/2021 until 5:00 p.m. on 4/23/2021.

   On April 15, 2021, Western’s Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management notified academic Deans of the availability of Federal HEERF II funds and asked that Deans and faculty members encourage students to apply with a link to the Federal HEERF II announcement and application on the Financial Aid website.

   In addition, all staff members within Western’s Enrollment and Student Services Division were asked to help spread the word to students about the Federal HEERF II application via an e-mail sent on April 12, 2021.

   On April 22, 2021, a follow-up e-mail was sent from the Financial Aid Department to the same group of students as a reminder to consider applying for the Federal CRRSA HEERF II Grant funding.

   Instructions, directions and guidance provided by Western’s Financial Aid Department for Federal HEERF II awarding were made on March 15, 2021 via the Financial Aid website and direct e-mail.

   Federal HEERF II recipients were informed of their Federal HEERF II awards by the Financial Aid Department. Recipients were informed that the Federal HEERF II funds were intended to provide financial assistance to them based on exceptional financial need to help pay educational costs associated with attending Western or for emergency costs they incurred due to coronavirus.