CARES Act Reporting Requirements

On April 11, 2020, the University of West Georgia returned to the U.S. Department of Education the signed Certification and Agreement for Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding and intends to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under § 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

CARES (HEERF I)

UWG received $10,881,459 from the U.S. Department of Education as a result of the CARES Act, with a minimum of $5,440,730 set aside for student grants and a maximum of $5,440,729 allocated as institutional funding.

HEERF II

UWG received $18,585,785 from the US Department of Education with a minimum of $5,440,730 set aside for student grants and a maximum of $13,145,055 allocated as institutional funding.

HEERF III

UWG received $32,314,175 from the US Department of Education with a minimum of $16,514,509 set aside for student grants and a maximum of $15,799,666 allocated as institutional funding.

As of Wednesday April 6, 2022, UWG has distributed $27,391,916.39 to students.

• CARES (HEERF I): 7,186
• HEERF II: 5,804
• HEERF III: 8,613

• CARES (HEERF I): 5,162
• HEERF II: 5,804
• HEERF III: 8,613

CARES ( HEERF I)

UWG disbursed funds in a three-phase process. In Phase I, students who demonstrated financial need (as determined by the expected family contribution from their completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid) received automatic relief in the form of a one-time monetary payment. This phase was complete as of May 20, 2020.

For Phase II, UWG opened an application portal through which students applied to receive a portion of the remaining funds. The application was open from Thursday, May 7, until Thursday, May 14. Students who encountered a financial need related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19 were encouraged to apply for the funds. Students who received funding during Phase I of the overall distribution plan were eligible to apply for relief to be granted during Phase II. The UWG Cares Team in the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management reviewed the applications and recommended funding allocations. 

For Phase III, in July 2020, UWG distributed funds to students who received CARES Act funding in the initial phase of distribution; met satisfactory academic progress standards; and was enrolled at UWG for the summer or fall 2020 semesters as of July 24, 2020. Students who received these funds received an email when the funds were sent to accounts.

HEERF II

UWG disbursed funds in a three-phase process. In Phase I, Spring 2021 students who demonstrated financial need (as determined by the expected family contribution from their completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid) received automatic relief in the form of a one-time monetary payment.

In Phase II, Spring 2021 students who were not eligible for Phase I and had encountered hardships due to COVID-19 were encouraged to apply for funds. The application was open for two weeks, and review of applications began after the application closed. 

In Phase III, all remaining funds were equally divided and awarded to Phase I students.

HEERF III - Fall 2021

UWG disbursed funds in a two phase process. In Phase I, Fall 2021 students with an EFC between 0  and 20,000  received automatic relief in the form of a monetary payment.

 In Phase II, students who met requirements for at least one of three categories received automatic awards. Those categories were as follows: 1) “Disadvantaged Backgrounds” - students who indicated on the FAFSA that they were in foster care, had been in legal guardianship, or were homeless or at risk for homelessness. 2) “Food Insecurity” - the UWG EdSights Chatbot collected information on students regarding food insecurity and that information was used to determine if a student was food insecure. 3) “Housing Need” - students residing in on campus housing with an EFC between 0 and 20,000.

HEERF III - Spring 2022

UWG disbursed funds in a three phase process.  In Phase I, Spring 2022 students with an EFC between 0  and 20,000  received automatic relief in the form of a monetary payment.

 In Phase II, students who met requirements for at least one of three categories received automatic awards. Those categories were as follows: 1) “Disadvantaged Backgrounds” - students who indicated on the FAFSA that they were in foster care, had been in legal guardianship, or were homeless or at risk for homelessness. 2) “Food Insecurity” - the UWG EdSights Chatbot collected information on students regarding food insecurity and that information was used to determine if a student was food insecure. 3) “Housing Need” - students residing in on campus housing with an EFC between 0 and 20,000.

In Phase III, remaining funds were distributed to students who had an institutional balance. Students receiving Phase I funding were prioritized.

The University of West Georgia provided instructions for applying for the grants through an email to all eligible students and on the institution's main CARES Act webpage. Students who were awarded grants because of their demonstrated need were notified via email once the payments were disbursed.