Coronavirus Emergency Relief Funding

Update: April 28, 2022

To help students and institutions harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress established and funded the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) as part of the CARES Act. To receive this funding, Pardee RAND submitted a Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students to the Department of Education on May 13, 2020.

Federal Emergency Aid Grant Reporting

The Department of Education allocated $65,631 to the Pardee RAND Graduate for emergency grants to students under Section 2003(a)(1) for HEERF I, II, and III. As of April10, 2022, Pardee RAND has distributed $64,986.11 of Section 2003(a)(1) HEERF funding to 51 students. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students this quarter (1/1/2022-03/31/2022) is $42,750. An estimated 130 Pardee RAND students are eligible to receive HEERF Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

Federal Emergency Aid Grant Criteria and Eligibility

• Pardee RAND made federal HEERF I funds available to all students who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents, as required by HEERF I guidelines. Eligible students received an email with an application form (see “Related Documents”) asking them if they had any emergency costs arising from the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including housing, course materials, technology, loss of project work, health care, and child care. Except for cases of financial need, funding awards in the first round was capped at $2,000 for large expenses such as loss of On-the-Job-Training project work or child care, and $300 for smaller expenses such as technology or office equipment purchases, for a total of $2,300 per student.
• Pardee RAND made federal HEERF II funds available to all students who were U.S. citizens or permanent residents, as required by HEERF II guidelines at the time awards were disbursed. Students received an email with an application form (see “Related Documents”). Award amounts were based on costs due to the pandemic, including tuition relief, course materials, technology, health care, and child care. Pardee RAND prioritized those students with exceptional financial need in distributing HEERF II funding to students.
• Pardee RAND made federal HEERF III funds available to all currently enrolled students. Students received an email with an application form (see “Related Documents”). Award amounts were based on costs due to the pandemic, including lost revenue, health care, and child care. Pardee RAND prioritized those students with financial need, especially those with exceptional financial need, in distributing HEERF III funding to students.

Additional Funding

Pardee RAND also received $470,321 under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). These funds provide an additional allocation for institutions of higher education receiving less than $500,000 under the student and institutional emergency grants. These funds were used to support students during the pandemic as they transitioned to working from home, to cover tuition and fellowship costs where needed, to support RAND's extension of sick leave to students, and to purchase the equipment the school needed for in-person and online learning.