English
Spanish
Bladen Community College / CARES Act Funding for Student Aid
Federal Emergency grant funds are now available for Bladen Community College (BCC) students who meet eligibility requirements and may have experienced certain financial hardships due to the COVID-19 disruption. These funds are established through a provision in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act known as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). An additional application will not be required and HEERF checks will be mailed to students who meet eligibility criteria:
Eligibility
- Have a completed 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file at BCC.
- Approved to receive federal financial aid (also known as Title IV funds).
- Participated in a program of study approved for Title IV financial aid funding during the 2020 Spring Semester.
- Enrolled in at least one class as of March 13, 2020 (full term or second eight weeks) that transitioned from face-to-face to an online class. Relief fund amounts disbursed to students are based upon “impacted credit hours”.
Student Aid Payment Formula
| Impacted Credit Hours | Student Aid Payment |
| 1 – 5 | $ 570.00 |
| 6 – 8 | $ 1,070.00 |
| 9 – 11 | $ 1,570.00 |
| 12 + | $ 2,070.00 |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are Title IV funds?
Title IV funds include anything that is administered through the Federal Student Aid program. Examples of Title IV aid include federal Pell and SEOG grants, subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, federal work-study and parent PLUS loans.
What does a student have to do to be eligible for Title IV funds?
Students must first apply and be accepted to an eligible program of study at Bladen Community College. They must also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.gov). If selected for financial aid verification, students must complete the review process and submit appropriate documentation.
There are several criteria that are used to determine if a student is eligible for Title IV funds. More information about these financial aid eligibility requirements can be found here: https://bladencc.edu/financial-aid/.
Who is not eligible to receive CARES Act grants?
According to the guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Education, the following students are not eligible to receive CARES Act grants:
- Students who are not declared in an eligible Program of Study at BCC.
- International students and/or those students who cannot provide documentation of U.S. citizenship.
- Students enrolled exclusively in online courses for the 2020 Spring Semester.
- Students concurrently enrolled in high school while attending BCC.
- Students enrolled in only non-credit courses.
- Students who are currently on financial aid suspension.
What is the definition of an “impacted credit hour” referenced in the CARES Act Student Aid Formula for BCC?
Each BCC class has a specific number of credit hours assigned to it. An “impacted credit hour” is any credit hour (in the form of classes) taken by an eligible student during the 2020 Spring Semester that meets at least one of the following criteria:
- The credit hours assigned to any face-to-face class moved to an online class, ONLY IF the student is enrolled in the class as of March 13, 2020.
- The credit hours assigned to any face-to-face second eight (8) week class moved to an online class, ONLY IF the student was enrolled in the second eight (8) week class on or before March 13, 2020 (and did not drop prior to the course begin date). All second eight (8) week classes began on March 23, 2020 due to the extended spring break.
Are students eligible for CARES Act grants if they were registered for a second eight (8) week face-to-face class that was transitioned to an online class?
Yes, only if the student was enrolled (registered) for the second eight (8) week face-to-face class on or before March 13, 2020 (and did not drop prior to the course begin date). All second eight (8) week classes began on March 23, 2020. The classes originally scheduled as face-to-face classes were either cancelled or transitioned to an online class format.
Are students eligible for CARES Act grants if they are on financial aid suspension?
No. The Department of Education has stated that students receiving CARES Act grants must be eligible to receive Title IV aid. Students on financial aid suspension do not meet this eligibility requirement.
Are Bladen Early College and Career and College Promise students eligible for CARES Act grants?
No. Students enrolled in dual credit classes are still enrolled in high school and have not yet graduated from high school. Students must be a high school graduate to be eligible for Title IV funds.
Are students eligible for CARES Act grants if any of their courses were taken as a face-to-face course prior to the COVID-19 campus disruption?
Yes. Students may qualify for CARES Act grants if they were enrolled in at least one face-to-face course prior to the disruption in campus operations, assuming they meet the other eligibility requirements. Students must also demonstrate that they stayed enrolled in these courses after March 13, 2020.
Are students eligible for CARES Act grants if all of their 2020 Spring Semester courses were already being taught online?
No. The Department of Education has stated that students taking online classes exclusively are not eligible for CARES Act grants. The Department’s position is that students who were taking all of their courses online would not have incurred eligible expenses due to a disruption in campus operations since online students are not attending on-campus.
If a student owes tuition or other expenses, will the CARES Act grants be applied to their balance due to the College?
No. The Department of Education has clearly stated that all CARES Act grants must be delivered directly to students. The College is unable to apply any of these funds toward a student’s outstanding balance. Students will not have the option to request that BCC apply their CARES Act grant toward their balance due before disbursing any remainder.
What should students do if they have questions about their Title IV eligibility or whether they are eligible for a CARES Act grant?
Contact Information
Lenore Lacy, Administrative Assistant – [email protected]
Where can students go if they have more questions about the CARES Act or want to learn more?
Additional information about the CARES Act from the Department of Education can be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerfstudentfaqs.pdf
Where can students go to learn more about CARES Act funding for North Carolina Community Colleges?
Additional information about the CARES Act funding allocated to North Carolina Community Colleges can be found at https://www.ednc.org/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-cares-act-funding-for-community-colleges/
Department of Education / Institutional Reporting Requirement
Updated October 30, 2020
An acknowledgement that the institution signed and returned to the Department the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution has used, or intends to use, 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.
Bladen Community College signed and returned the Certification of Agreement to the Department dated May 6, 2020. We have drawn down and disbursed 50% of the total funds allocated to date of a total expense related to student aid of $430,981.00 as of June 4, 2020.
The total amount of funds that the institution will receive or has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
Bladen Community College has received a total of $430,981.00 as of June 4, 2020.
The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of submission (i.e., as of the 30-day Report and every 45 days thereafter).
Bladen Community College has disbursed a total of $430,981 to students in the form of Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
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 under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
According to the eligibility requirements issued by the CARES Act, we have estimated approximately 400 students receiving student aid related to the CARES Act.
The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
According to the eligibility requirements issued by the CARES Act, we have distributed student aid to 378 students.
The method(s) used by the institution to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
The method we used to determine the eligibility to receive the Emergency Financial Aid Grants can be found at https://bladencc.edu/cares-act-information/.
Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
Please visit https://bladencc.edu/cares-act-information/ for guidance, eligibility requirements and FAQs related to the CARES Act.
Additional Information:
CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)