As of June 15, 2020, all funds for the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant have been exhausted.
Applications received will be retained shall additional funding become available in the future.
Owens Community College, through the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, has been awarded $1.9 million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) for students whose lives have been disrupted. Funds can be used for educational expenses related to the disruption of College operations due to coronavirus. These include food, rent or mortgage payment, instructional supplies, technology, health care, utility bill(s), or child/dependent care. Loss of employment is not an allowable expense.
To support the greatest number of students possible while also providing funding to those students who may have the greatest need, students have two possible paths to receive funds. NOTE: As of June 15, 2020, all funds for the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant have been exhausted.
The first path is a CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Auto Award.
Who is eligible?
CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) amounts are based on a student’s expected family contribution as determined by the FAFSA and the total number of credit hours of enrollment as of March 13.
This award will automatically be applied to a student’s account on Friday, May 22, 2020. The student will receive a refund based on the refund preference they have selected with BankMobile. For information about BankMobile and setting a refund preference, please view the Refunds section of the Student Accounts website >>. If assistance is needed with setting up your refund preference, please contact the Student Service Center at (567) 661-2387. Please note the College will be closed for the Memorial Day Holiday, and email and phone support will be available during posted hours starting Tuesday, May 26, 2020.
The second path is the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant Application.
This process will be available in your Ozone account starting Tuesday, May 26 after 9 a.m.
Who is eligible?
A student must meet basic eligibility criteria for federal financial aid as listed at this webpage >> and have been enrolled in Spring 2020 classes.
Grant amounts will be based on an individual student grant application submission and are subject to availability of funds. The maximum grant request per student is $1500. A student is only eligible to make one request for a CARES Act HEERF grant based on the current federal funding. CARES Act HEERF grant applications will be processed within five business days.
If a student would like to check if they received an automatic award, they may do so starting on the afternoon of Friday, May 22 using their Ozone account >>. If a student would like to apply for the CARES Act HEERF grant, they may do so after 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26 using their Ozone account. Follow these steps for both processes after logging into Ozone:
- From the Ozone home page, click on the Financial Info tab
- From the Financial Aid Summary section, click on View Financial Aid Details
- Click on Financial Aid Awards
- Select the Financial Aid Year 2020-2021 and click Submit
- Select the Award Overview Information about the CARES ACT Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund will be listed near the top of the page
For questions, please contact the Student Service Center at (567) 661-2387, or email your Oserve Advocate.
Please note, the College is closed for the Memorial Day Holiday and will be open for phone and email support during regular posted hours on Tuesday, May 26.
What is the CARES Act and the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund?
On March 27, 2020, the federal government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act established and funded the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide emergency grants to students to be used for allowable financial expenses incurred as a result of COVID-19 crisis. One part of this federal program allocates money to Owens Community College, a portion of which can be awarded to students who are experiencing expenses due to the coronavirus emergency.
Who is eligible for a CARES Act Higher Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant?
Students enrolled in Spring 2020 classes on March 13, 2020, who meet basic eligibility criteria for federal financial aid as listed at https://www.owens.edu/financial_aid/eligibility/ and who had the greatest financial need as of May 14, 2020 were awarded funds automatically.
Students who were not automatically awarded or wish to request additional funding can complete an online application through their Ozone account starting Tuesday, May 26th after 9 AM.
Unfortunately, the CARES Act does not allow these funds to be awarded to international students or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students.
Will my CARES Act HEERF approved grant amount OR automatic award pay an existing balance I owe the college for either Spring 2020 semester or a future semester?
No, the full amount of the award will be posted to your account and refunded, even if you owe the college a balance. If you would like to use the CARES Act HEERF funds to make a payment on your account, please visit https://www.owens.edu/student-accounts/deferred/ for details on various payment methods.
What kinds of expenses are allowable?
Funds can be used for educational expenses related to the disruption of college operations due to coronavirus. These include food, rent or mortgage payment, instructional supplies, technology, health care, utility bill(s), or child/dependent care. Loss of employment is not an allowable expense.
Do I have to repay the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant?
The funds do not need to be repaid and are designed to be a grant, not a loan.
How will my refund be reflected on my student account?
Refunds will be posted to ‘Student Accounts Balance for a Current and Future Semester’ found on the Financial Info tab of your Ozone account. Students will see HEERF Payment and HEERF Refund. If you are expecting a refund, you should receive it in the manner you selected within 3-5 business days after a refund appears on your student account.
How will the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) be sent to me?
This award will automatically be applied to your student account. You will receive a refund based on the refund preference you have selected with BankMobile. Please note, you should receive it within 3-5 business days after a refund appears on your account. For information about BankMobile and setting a refund preference, please view the Refunds section of the Student Accounts website at https://www.owens.edu/student-accounts/deferred.html.
When will I receive the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant?
Owens Community College processes and distributes refunds to BankMobile on Fridays. If you are expecting a refund, you should receive it in the manner you selected within 3-5 business days after a refund appears on your student account.
Would this funding reduce my financial aid awards?
No, this fund does not affect your financial aid eligibility. It is a one-time grant.
Is there a maximum amount of funding that a student can apply for, using the CARES Act grant request process?
Yes, the maximum amount is $1,500. Please note, this amount does not include any funds a student may have received through the automatic award process. And, that amount of an automatic award does not figure in to the $1,500 limit.
What is the processing time of a CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant application?
Applications submitted will be reviewed and decisions made within 5 business days of receipt.
How can I check the status of, or view if Owens received, my CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant Application?
The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant Application will display in Ozone within 2-3 business days after you have submitted it.
- Log into Ozone.
- Click the Financial Info tab.
- From the Financial Aid Summary section, click View Financial Aid Details.
- Click Student Requirements.
- Select the Financial Aid Year 2020-2021.
- Click Submit.
- The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant Application will be listed, along with the current status.
How will I know if my application was approved?
Follow the steps provided below to view the status of the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant Application on the Student Requirements page. A status of Completed indicates that the application has been approved. Go to the Award Overview tab in Ozone to view the total amount of your grant. There will also be an active message in Ozone which you can access from the My Overall Status page to let you know that the application has been approved.
- Log into Ozone.
- Click the Financial Info tab.
- From the Financial Aid Summary section, click View Financial Aid Details.
- Click Student Requirements.
- Select the Financial Aid Year 2020-2021.
- Click Submit.
- The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant Application will be listed, along with the current status.
Detailed instructions for navigating the Financial Aid information in Ozone is available here https://cdn.owens.edu/financial_aid/2021-ozone-brochure.pdf.
My CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant application status is “Incomplete”. How do I know what to do?
There will be an active message in Ozone with details. To view your active messages, use the link at the top of the Student Requirements page or go to the My Overall Status page.
Detailed instructions for navigating the Financial Aid information in Ozone is available here https://cdn.owens.edu/financial_aid/2021-ozone-brochure.pdf.
My CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Grant application status is “Denied”. Why?
Why didn’t I receive any money as part of the automatic awarding process?
You may not have a 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file, were not enrolled on March 13, 2020, or did not meet the Expected Family Contribution or federal aid eligibility criteria. However, you still have the option to apply for the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) as long as you meet the eligibility criteria for federal aid. Details about federal financial aid eligibility can be found at https://www.owens.edu/financial_aid/eligibility/.
Do I have to report the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant on my income tax return?
For information on reporting the CARES Act HEERF grant, please visit the IRS website. Please contact your tax preparer if you have additional questions.
Who should I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the Student Service Center at (567) 661-2387 or email your Oserve Advocate using your Owens student email account. To locate your Oserve Advocate’s name and email from the Ozone homepage, please navigate to the “Academic Profile” section and select the current semester.
Additional information and resources related to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is available at https://www.owens.edu/covid19/.
How were the automatic award amounts determined?
The automatic awards were based on expected family contribution as determined by the FASFA and the total number of credit hours a student was enrolled in as of March 13.
What is the different between the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant and the Student Emergency Assistance Fund?
The CARES Act HEERF grant is funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in response to the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Assistance is for allowable expenses based on the guidance provided by the United States Department of Education. Allowable expenses may include, but are not limited to: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child/dependent care expenses.
The Student Emergency Assistance Fund, is made available through contributions made by donors. Approved amounts are considered an additional financial aid resource for the purpose of packaging financial aid awards. Students must be degree or certificate seeking, in academic good standing, have encountered an unexpected financial hardship, and are in need of assistance with books and supplies through the Owens bookstore, or with non-educational related expenses, such as, mortgage, utilities, personal automobile expenses, public transportation, medical bills, and child care. The use of emergency assistance does not cover assistance with tuition related expenses. For more information about the Student Emergency Assistance Fund, please visit https://www.owens.edu/oserve/emergency/.
How can I tell if I was automatically awarded funds through the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant?
Students can view their CARES Act Higher Education Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant, and grant amount, using their Ozone account. Following the steps below, if you do not see a HEERF refund listed, it is likely we were not able to determine your eligibility. If you meet the eligibility criteria listed here, https://www.owens.edu/financial_aid/eligibility/, we encourage you to apply for the CARES Act HEERF Grant. The application for the CARES Act HEERF grant can be completed online using your Ozone account starting Tuesday, May 26th after 9 AM. These are the steps to review an automatically awarded grant, and to view the amount:
- Log into Ozone.
- Click the Financial Info tab.
- From the Financial Aid Summary section, click View Financial Aid Details.
- Click Financial Aid Awards.
- Select the Financial Aid Year 2020-2021.
- Click Submit.
- Select the Award Overview tab. Information about the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund will be listed near the top of the page.
How do I apply for the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grant, if I did not receive an automatic award, or if I would like to request additional funding?
Students who were not automatically awarded the CARES Act HEERF Grant or those who would like to request additional funding can complete an online application through their Ozone account. A student may only apply one time for the CARES Act Grant.
To complete the online application, follow these steps:
- Log into Ozone.
- Click the Financial Info tab.
- From the Financial Aid Summary section, click View Financial Aid Details.
- Click Financial Aid Awards.
- Select the Financial Aid Year 2020-2021.
- Click Submit.
- Select the Award Overview tab. Information about the CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, including a link to the application, will be listed near the top of the page.
