Sec. 4. Emergency financial aid grants to support students during periods of emergency or disaster
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Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: In this section: The term basic needs means the needs of a student included in any component of the student’s cost of attendance that support the student's success while enrolled at an institution of higher education, such as— food; housing; transportation; child care; the one-time cost of purchasing a personal computer or establishing a reliable internet connection; and health care.
The term eligible student means a student enrolled in an institution of higher education who has been impacted by a qualifying emergency. The term emergency financial aid grant means an emergency financial aid grant provided to an eligible student under subsection (d). The Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education to enable institutions of higher education to create or expand emergency financial aid grant programs that address the unexpected expenses related to basic needs of eligible students during a qualifying emergency.
Each institution of higher education desiring to create or expand an emergency financial aid grant program under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary, at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. Each application under paragraph
(1)shall include a description of the emergency financial aid grant program to be carried out by the institution of higher education, including— the amount the institution of higher education is requesting in the application; an estimate of the number of emergency financial aid grants that such institution of higher education will make in an award year and how such institution of higher education assessed such estimate; the criteria the institution of higher education will use to determine that an eligible student will receive an emergency financial aid grant; a description of the process by which an eligible student may apply and receive an emergency financial aid grant; a description of the process by which an institution of higher education will determine the basic needs that will be addressed; a description of how the institution of higher education will prioritize students with the greatest need; a description of how the institution of higher education will respond to questions regarding, and disburse funds from, emergency financial aid grants outside of normal business hours; an assurance that the process by which an eligible student applies for an emergency financial aid grant includes at least 1 opportunity to appeal a denial of such grant; and an assurance that the institution of higher education, as applicable, will make additional information available to eligible students about the eligibility of such students and their dependents for means-tested benefit programs and additional Federal, State, or local programs available to the eligible students and their dependents as a result of the qualifying emergency. In awarding grants to institutions of higher education under this section, the Secretary— shall give priority to institutions of higher education most heavily affected by a qualifying emergency; and may give priority to institutions of higher education that are eligible to receive assistance under section 371. An institution of higher education may submit not more than 2 applications under this subsection for each award year. An institution of higher education shall use funds provided under this section to make emergency financial aid grants to eligible students enrolled at the institution of higher education at the time of the qualifying emergency to address the unexpected expenses related to the basic needs of eligible students during a qualifying emergency. An eligible student receiving an emergency financial aid grant shall not be required to repay all or any portion of the emergency financial aid grant. An emergency financial aid grant to an eligible student may not be in an amount greater than $1,500 per award year. In determining eligibility for and awarding emergency financial aid grants under this subsection, an institution of higher education may— independently assess a student’s unmet financial need and eligibility separate from the student’s expected family contribution (as determined under section 474) for an award year; utilize a separate application process to determine the student’s unmet financial need; and utilize a contract with a scholarship-granting organization designated for the sole purpose of accepting applications from or disbursing funds to students enrolled in the institution of higher education, if such scholarship-granting organization disburses the full allocated amount provided to the institution of higher education to the recipients (except as provided under subsection (h)(1)). Not less frequently than once annually, each institution of higher education that receives a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary a report on the progress of the institution of higher education in carrying out the programs supported by such grant. The report under paragraph
(1)shall be submitted to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. The Secretary shall issue uniform guidelines describing the information that shall be reported by institutions of higher education under such paragraph. The report under paragraph
(1)shall include, at minimum, the following: The number of students that received an emergency financial aid grant. The average amount of an emergency financial aid grant awarded to eligible students. The number of students that applied for emergency financial aid grants. The number of students that were denied emergency financial aid grants. The average amount of time it took an institution of higher education to respond to an application for an emergency financial aid grant by an eligible student and the average amount of time it took the institution of higher education to approve or deny the emergency financial aid grant application. The number of students that received an emergency financial aid grant disaggregated by— sex; race or ethnicity; classification as a student with a disability; and recipients of a Federal Pell Grant. A grant awarded to an institution of higher education under this section shall not exceed $750,000. A grant awarded to an institution of higher education under this section shall be for a period of not more than 2 years. The Secretary shall issue a notice inviting applications for grants under this section no later than 30 days after the enactment of the Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act. The Secretary shall accept applications from institutions of higher education on a rolling basis. The Secretary shall approve or deny applications from institutions of higher education under subsection
(c)within 30 days. If an institution of higher education returns to the Secretary any portion of the sums awarded to the eligible institution under this section for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall redistribute the excess funds to institutions of higher education receiving grants under this section for such year that received and used at least 5 percent of the total amount of funds granted to institutions of higher education under this section. The Secretary shall— conduct outreach to institutions of higher education to provide information on the opportunity to apply to carry out an emergency financial aid program under this section; and provide technical assistance and outreach to institutions of higher education for the preparation of applications described in subsection (c). An institution of higher education that receives a grant under this section may use not more than 3 percent of the grant funds to administer such grant. The Secretary may reserve not more than 1/2 of 1 percent of the grant funds to administer the program under this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any requirement under this title that applies to assistance under this title shall not apply with respect to a grant or emergency financial aid grant provided under this part unless otherwise explicitly provided. There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated, from amounts in the Treasury not already appropriated and in addition to any other amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the following amounts: $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2020. $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2021. Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall remain available until expended, except that no sums may be expended after September 30, 2023. .
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Sec. 4
Emergency financial aid grants to support students during periods of emergency or disaster
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