Coronavirus Response & Relief Student Aid

Note: This page is dedicated to the HEERF II funding established by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act for the Spring 2021 semester. Past information on the CARES Act passed in Spring 2020 can be found HERE .

Information about HEERF III established by the American Rescue Plan Act passed in Spring 2021 can be found HERE.

Pre-Authorized Funds:

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II) established by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act is available to eligible students and will be distributed automatically to undergraduate students during the Pre-Authorized Funding period. Students must meet the following criteria to be considered eligible to receive pre-authorized HEERF II funds:

• AIC received an official 2019-2020 FAFSA or the student completed a 2020-2021 FAFSA by August 1, 2020.
• Meet Title IV Federal Financial Aid eligibility requirements.
• Maintaining the minimum requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Questions about eligibility requirements? Please contact cares.act@aic.edu with all questions and concerns.

During the Pre-Authorized Funds distribution phase, HEERF II funding will be distributed to students who qualify. Students can either apply these funds DIRECTLY to their Student Account to reduce their balance or can request the funds as a direct payment via refund check.

Benefits of Applying HEERF II funds to your student Account:

Tax Benefits: Students who chose to have the funds applied directly to their student account may be able to use the payment to qualify for Education Benefits when the 2021 federal taxes are filed. The funds will be considered as a payment for the 2021 1098-T tax forms and families may qualify to apply for the Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Credit.

Student Accounts Holds: If you choose to apply the HEERF II funds to your account:

• Full-time (standard rate or professional rate) undergraduate students: Hold threshold will be increased from $2,500 to $5,000
• Part-time undergraduate/nonstandard programs students: Hold threshold will be increased from $1,000 to $2,000

Students who request a direct payment will see the payment be posted to the student’s account and will be sent as a refund check. Checks will take 7-10 business days to process, and students will be emailed when the check has been issued.

AIC prioritized students with the greatest financial need by utilizing the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as well as students who have exhausted all their Financial Aid options but still have an account balance of over $1,000. AIC is providing a larger amount of funding to students with the most need.

Awarding Model:

Students who receive HEERF II Pre-Authorized Funds, must accept the grant by completing THIS FORM.

Funds will not be disbursed until form is completed. Form must be completed by Friday July 9, 2021.

Funds being dispersed to a Students Account will happen within 7-14 business days. Students requesting a check must cash the check within 90-days of issuance. Please note, it will take 7-14 business days to process the check. After 90-days, the check will be voided, and you will forfeit the funds allocated to you. For questions regarding your HEERF II funding, or for more information on the CARES Act please contact cares.act@aic.edu.

Appeals:

Eligibility: All students (undergraduate, graduate and doctoral) who meet the HEERF II eligibility requirements may file an appeal. Students can file an appeal in order to help reduce their Student Account balance or request funds for personal costs as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Funding Criteria: Appeal decisions will be based on need criteria which include HEERF II eligibility, FAFSA based need and eligibility, current cost of attendance balances, and personal situations.

• Colleges are required to prioritize funding for students with exceptional need.
  • Therefore, we may delay decisions on appeals on accounts with low need.
  • Please understand that AIC needs to prioritize the limited funding according to the HEERF II regulations and we may not be able to approve all appeals.

Benefits of Applying HEERF II funds to your student Account:

• Tax Benefits: Students who chose to have the funds applied directly to their student account may be able to use the payment to qualify for Education Benefits when the 2021 federal taxes are filed. The funds will be considered as payment for the 2021 1098-T tax forms and families may qualify to apply for the Lifetime Learning Credit or the American Opportunity Credit.
• Student Accounts Holds: If you choose to apply the HEERF II funds to your account:
  • Full-time (standard rate or professional rate) undergraduate students: Hold threshold will be increased from $2,500 to $5,000
  • Part-time undergraduate/nonstandard programs students: Hold threshold will be increased from $1,000 to $2,000
  • Graduate/Doctoral students: Hold threshold will be increased from $1,000 to $2.000
• To submit an appeal, please click HERE.

Appeal Timeline:

Appeals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Students who submit an appeal by June 18, 2021 will receive a response no later than July 9, 2021. Students who submit an appeal after June 18, 2021 should expect to receive a response within 3-weeks of submitting an appeal, please note appeal submissions will not result in an immediate outcome as the CARES Act Committee needs to review each appeal individually.

Form Submission: Form may only be submitted once.

Reports:

Quarterly reporting of the student and institutional portion of HEERF funding can be found HERE.