Student Portion HEERF

FINAL REPORT
Quarterly Report on Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students Quarter ending June 30, 2020

CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

Opportunity #: ED-GRANTS-041020-003

Introduction

This report is published to comply with the Section 18004(e) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136, 134 Stat. 281 (March 27, 2020), which directs institutions receiving funds under Section 18004 of the Act to submit (in a time and manner required by the Secretary) a report to the Secretary describing the use of funds distributed from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).

On March 27, 2020, the Federal government enacted the CARES Act, Pub L. No. 116-136, providing funds to institutions from the HEERF to make Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including eligible expenses under the student’s cost of attendance, such as food, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

The law requires institutions to report on the use of these funds and to publish the reports on the institution’s website, where: the initial report is to be published 30-days after receipt of the allocation; and an update report is to be published at the end of every calendar quarter thereafter. In addition, the law specifies the following seven (7) items be addressed in the report.

1. An acknowledgement that the institution: executed the Certification and Agreement; and

the assurance the institution has used, or intends to use, no less than 50 percent of the

NYS Licensure Qualifying Education funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

2. The total amount of funds the institution will receive or has received pursuant to the

Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

3. The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students as of the date

of submission (i.e., as of the initial report and every calendar quarter thereafter).

4. The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in

programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus

eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant.

6. The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive EmergencyFinancial Aid Grants and how much they would receive.

7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students

concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

Report Items

The following presents the Center for Natural Wellness School of Massage Therapy (CNWSMT) final quarterly update on emergency financial aid grants to students for the calendar quarter ending June 30, 2020. CNWSMT’s 30-Day Report on Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students was published on May 24, 2020, and is presented Exhibit 1.
This quarterly update is deemed final because as of June 30, 2020, CNWSMT finalized distribution of the institution’s total allocation for emergency financial aid grants to students. Therefore, this quarterly update is applicable (i.e., will not change) for all subsequent quarters.

1. Certification and Agreement Assurances

This statement shall serve to acknowledge that CNWSMT signed and returned to the U.S. Department of Education the Certification and Agreement - Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.

CNWSMT further attests that the institution used 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.

2. Funds Received

CNWSMT received a $56,790.00 allocation from the U.S. Department of Education on April 24, 2020, pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Student.

3. Funds Distributed to Student

The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants that CNWSMT distributed to students is $60,476.00, which equates to 53.2 percent of the funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act were used to provide emergency financial aid grants to students.

4. Eligible Students

CNWSMT has 39 students who are eligible to participate in programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, Section 484, Title IV; and CNWSMT determined all 39 students to be eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

5. Eligible Students Who Received Aid

All 39 eligible students at CNWSMT received an emergency financial aid grant under

Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

On April 28, 2020 all 39 eligible students were given their emergency aid grant funds in the form of a check from CNWSMT made payable to each eligible student.

As of June 30, 2020: all 39 eligible students received their check; all checks cleared the CNWSMT bank account upon which the checks were drawn; and the funds were being used by each eligible student for its intended purpose, all of whom expressed appreciation.

6. Methodology to Disburse Aid to Eligible Students

The following presents the methodology used by CNWSMT to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much each student received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

Eligible Students

CNWSMT defines eligible students for receipt of emergency financial aid grants as:

The student is or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); and
The student must be enrolled in a CNWSMT Massage Therapy Program on March 20, 2020. This date coincides with New York State orders to combat the COVID-19 pandemic including: 100% workforce reduction for non-essential businesses; and secure-in-place / Stay-at-home social distancing restrictions.

CNWSMT deemed 39 students eligible, based on this definition.

Distribution and Amount of the Emergency Aid

The CARES Act provides significant discretion on how institutions are to award the Student Grant Aid to students, and Secretary Betsy DeVos, U.S. Department of Education, encourages institutions to prioritize aid to students based on need, while ensuring the grant is distributed as widely as possible to students.

As such, CNWSMT based student need on the level of disrupted instruction for each program, measured by the number of scheduled clock-hours of instruction disrupted after March 20, 2020, where:

Each student in a program has the same amount of disrupted instruction;
Students in programs with relatively larger levels of disrupted instruction have higher

need than students in programs with relatively smaller levels; and
The amount of aid per student is the same for each student in a program.

CNWSMT has six (6) disrupted massage therapy programs, listed below in the order of most disrupted to least disrupted:

October 2019: 22-month Massage Therapy Program;
September 2019: 9-month Massage Therapy Program;
June 2019: 12-month Massage Therapy Program;
October 2018: 22-month Massage Therapy Program;
Transfer Student Massage Therapy Program; and
February 2019: 14-month Massage Therapy Program.

Specifically, this prohibits institutions from reporting information about a group of 10 or fewer students, or the difference between groups is less than 10 students.

7. Instructions, Directions and/or Guidance to Students

Instructions, directions and guidance to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants was provided in a letter to each eligible student dated and mailed on April 28, 2020. The letter also contained a CNWSMT bank check made payable to the student for this emergency aid. The following page presents the template for the letter sent to eligible students regarding the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.

April 28, 2020

{Student first name, last name} {Street Address}
{City}, {State} {Zip}

Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Student

Dear {First name, Last name},

This letter transmits {$X.00} in emergency aid to you with the enclosed check {(#XXXXX)} made payable to you. This aid is funded by a grant to the Center for Natural Wellness School of Massage Therapy (CNWSMT) under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

The purpose of HEERF aid is to help students pay costs of attending school due to disruptions to school operations is authorized as a grant and has no repayment obligation and no bearing on Federal student financial aid.

However, you must agree to two statutory requirements for allowable use of this aid; whereby you agree and certify to adhere to these by signing-endorsing the check. The requirements are:

Only use the aid to pay for allowable expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and childcare; and
Be able to provide CNWSMT with documentation that identifies how you used the aid for allowable expenses, upon request from CNWSMT.

The aid amount for awarding the grant to students is based on student eligibility requirements and institutional discretion specified in the CARES Act, and on guidance from Secretary Betsy DeVos, U.S. Department of Education, which encourages institutions to prioritize aid to students based on need, while ensuring the grant is distributed as widely as possible to students.

It is with much appreciation-gratitude to provide this emergency aid to you, and I wish you well as we combat this global pandemic and economic insecurity.

Contact me should you wish to discuss this HEERF student emergency aid.

Sincerely,

Anthony Joseph, Ph.D. President

Cc: B. Joseph, Vice President

30-DAY REPORT
Report on Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students

May 24, 2020
CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund

Opportunity #: ED-GRANTS-041020-003

INTRODUCTION