HEERF III

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 has used the applicable amount of funds designated under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. 

The College received $2,466,850 and will receive $13,523 of funds from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs.

As of September 30, 2021, the College distributed $2,466,850 of grants to 2079 of our enrolled students.  The College estimates that 2079 of students enrolled at our institution are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA and ARP (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs. 

This phase of HEERF funding was allocated as an emergency grant distribution to assist students adversely impacted by the COVID pandemic and to help cover unexpected expenses, unmet financial need, or expenses related to or caused by the pandemic. Consistent with federal guidelines and to distribute the funding as quickly as possible to assist students with exceptional financial needs, the College disbursed funding as follows:

Group One: Undergraduate Pell Eligible Students*

Group Two: Undergraduate Non-Pell Eligible Students*

Group Three: Graduate Students*

Russell Sage College’s Student Accounts Department notified students by email that they were receiving an award. Funds were then sent to students by ACH, wire and check. 

Special Circumstances

The College has available $13,523 to distribute to students and their families that may have experienced unforeseen circumstances and/or expenses during the past academic year due to COVID-19.  The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 was signed by President Biden on March 11, 2021 to provide emergency assistance to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  As part of this act, provisions were made requiring Financial Aid officials to conduct direct outreach to financial aid applicants to inform them of the opportunity for a Special Circumstance Appeal.

A Special Circumstance appeal allows for a financial aid adjustment due to the recent unemployment of a direct family member (mother or father) of a dependent student or the recent unemployment of an independent student, or other circumstance related to COVID-19.  This refers to a significant change in current 2021 or 2020 income compared to a student’s required 2019 tax data reported on their 2021/2022 FAFSA.

Russell Sage College notified students of the appeal process through email, text messaging, a banner heading on our student self-service portal, student time sheet entry screen, and on this HEERF III web page. Students were asked to complete an assessment form to be eligible for additional funds due to Special Circumstances related to COVID-19.  

As of December 01, 2021, the College received 114 Assessment forms from students.  After careful review of the forms, The Director of Financial Aid determined that 50 students may qualify for a Special Circumstance Appeal based on the information they reported on the Assessment form.  Those students were sent the COVID-19 Special Circumstance Appeal Form and were asked to return it with supporting documentation by December 1, 2021.  The financial aid office received 5 completed forms that included supporting documentation. The Director and Associate Director of Financial Aid demonstrated professional judgment to make the necessary data element adjustments on the 2021-22 FAFSA which resulted in 3 students receiving additional federal financial aid. All students were notified of the outcome by December 15, 2021.

As of February 14, 2022, the College awarded the remaining funds.  The funds were disbursed to 17 full-time students that are working on a second bachelor’s degree but have an EFC that would make them Pell eligible otherwise.  They were originally awarded funds in Group Two: Undergraduate Non-Pell Eligible Students but are considered high need students so additional funds were awarded.  The total amount distributed to this group of students was $14,450.