Wofford College received federal funding through the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which assists students with expenses associated with the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.
Wofford applied a hybrid model, based on recommendations from the U.S. Department of Education, to determine which students would receive emergency financial aid grants and how much they would receive. This model included identifying students who automatically qualified for aid and an opportunity for students to apply for aid. Those automatically qualifying for aid could also apply for additional relief.
Students automatically eligible for direct payment
Students receiving automatic relief in the form of a one-time monetary payment were those with demonstrated financial need as determined by the expected family contribution (EFC) based on their 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Payment amounts were calculated based on a per diem of housing and food costs using 52 days of interruption for COVID-19 (March 27-May 17). Those checks were mailed to each student’s permanent address listed in Banner.
Wofford did not reduce funding if a student had a balance due to the college. Funds received from the college are tax-exempt.
By accepting these grant funds, students certified the payment was relative to expenses incurred due to the disruption of campus operations caused by COVID-19.
Applying for relief
Students were considered for relief by submitting an application for the college’s remaining CARES Act funds. Students who automatically received payment based on EFC were also eligible to apply for these funds. However, the maximum amount that a student could receive from application funds and direct allocation was $6,195 based on the Pell Grant maximum suggested by the U.S. Department of Education.
Wofford opened an application portal through which students applied to receive a portion of the remaining funds. This application was similar to the OneWofford application for emergency funds. A message was sent to all students announcing the online portal and the requirements and procedure for emergency relief funds.
The college’s objective in this process was to be transparent and fair to each student to ensure the proper funding is distributed and received.