HEERF Student Emergency Relief Grant

Updated 1/07/22

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27th, 2020. This bill allotted $2.2 trillion to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that money, approximately $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF.

Russell Sage College (The Sage Colleges) acknowledges that it signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. The College has been authorized to receive and has received $856,323 to provide direct emergency checks/direct deposit grants to college students whose lives and educations have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak.

The U.S. Department of Education announced on January 14, 2021 that an additional $21.2 billion will be made available to higher education institutions to ensure learning continues for students during the COVID-19 pandemic under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA) as HEERF ll.

Russell Sage College (The Sage Colleges) acknowledges that it signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and pleased to announce that we has receiving $856,323 additional funds that was awarded to students by March 15, 2021.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing $39.6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency funds provided by ARP significantly increased the amount of emergency relief aid available to students and institutions previously authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) relief legislation. This funding is provided by the ARP’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III), with a new formula requiring approximately half of the funding to be used by each institution to provide direct relief to students.

Russell Sage College (The Sage Colleges) acknowledges that it signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement to award $2,480,373 in emergency financial aid grants for students as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). As of December 31, 2021, the College distributed $2,466,850 of these funds to students. The College is continuing to evaluate the students with exceptional financial need, such as those eligible to receive a federal Pell Grant to provide additional grants.