Coronavirus Response
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSAA) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law to provide economic relief from COVID-19. The CRRSAA Act is part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief fund, which provides funds to institutions of higher education, like PA College, for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic. Notably, a portion of these funds is intended to be distributed directly to eligible students.
PA College was approved for $389,320 in CRRSAA funds to distribute to students as emergency grants for any component of 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 child care. In addition, PA College utilized $177,880 of the institutional portion of the CRRSAA funding for student emergency grants.
- Quarter 1: The total amount of funds that PA College has received from the Department spent on Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students from the CRRSAA Act in Q1 of 2021 was $551,000, which included $389,320 from the student emergency fund and $161,680 from the institutional fund.
- Quarter 2: The total amount of funds that PA College has received from the Department spent on Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students from the CRRSAA Act in Q2 of 2021 was $16,200, entirely from the institutional fund.
- The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under the CRRSAA Act as to date is $567,200.
- The estimated total number of students at PA College that are eligible to apply for an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CRRSAA Act is 1,982.
- The total number of students who applied for and have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under the CRRSAA Act is 709.
- PA College’s method of evaluating eligibility was based off of the students Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and enrollment to determine how much they would receive under the CRRSAA Act.
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- PA College sent emails to all students that were enrolled during the Spring 2021 semester as of February 24, 2021 (the date the awards were determined), notifying and reminding them to apply for CRRSAA Act funding. The initial notification email sent to students was as follows:
To receive CRRSAA funding, you must complete a 2020-2021 FAFSA; though this is not a federal requirement, it is how the College will determine financial need. Click here to review additional eligibility requirements. (Please note, CRRSAA has different requirements and thresholds than the CARES Act. Eligibility and grant amounts may differ from what you experienced with the CARES Act.)
To apply for CRRSAA funding, click here. Applications must be received by Monday, February 22. In addition, if you have not yet filed your 2020-2021 FAFSA, that must also be filed by Monday, February 22. Please note, filing a 2021-2022 FAFSA does not fulfill this requirement.
Once the application window has closed, further updates regarding your application will be sent in early March.
For answers to many common FAQs, click here or visit My PA College Portal > Student Services > Financial Aid > COVID-19 (CRRSAA) Funding. Contact Student Financial Services with any additional questions.
Additional information regarding how to apply for these funds was located on the PA College portal; the location of this information was distributed to all students enrolled at PA College during the Spring 2021 semester.