HEERF Funding

In This Section

What is HEERF Funding?

In March 2020, the federal government passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which authorized the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to provide funding to assist qualifying students with expenses related to disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Education allocated $1,377,872 to Nevada State College, which was fully distributed to 2,557 students as of September 21, 2020.

In December 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which authorized an additional round of funds for students in the same amount, commonly called HEERF II. As of May 19, 2021, Nevada State College distributed its entire allocation of $1,377,872 to 2,924 students.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) authorized additional relief funding to students of higher education institutions, referred to as HEERF III. Nevada State College was allocated $4,913,133 for use as emergency student grants. The institution signed and returned the Certification and Agreement form and intends to use no less than the required amount of funds received to provide HEERF grants to students.

American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 (HEERF III)

As of March 28, 2022, NSC had distributed its entire allocation of $4,913,133 to 2,744 unique students as detailed below. During the fall 2021 semester, there were approximately 7,219 students enrolled at the institution eligible to receive an award, and during the spring 2021 semester, there were approximately 6,802.

Initial automatic payments of $1,000 were issued to students who had an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of zero on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the NSC Non-Federal Aid Application and who were enrolled in Summer 21 (439 students), Fall 21 (1,086 students ) or Spring 22 (990 students).

All students enrolled at Nevada State College in these semesters were able to apply for a HEERF III emergency grant in the amount of $1,000. As of March 28, 2022 an additional 2,426 awards of $1,000 each were made to students who applied for funds by completing a simple online application. Funds were distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until exhausted. Students were able to use these funds to cover any component of their cost of attending Nevada State College, or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, health care or child care. There was no additional documentation required other than a short online application. Priority was given to students who have not already received an emergency grant this semester. Second requests were approved based on availability of funding. Funds were delivered to students’ preferred refund method on file with the Cashier’s Office and BankMobile. For more information, contact finaid@nsc.edu.

Who qualified for funding from the CRRSA Act (HEERF II)?

Students who met the following requirements were awarded a CRRSAA Emergency Grant:

Enrolled in the spring 2021 semester at least part-time in a ground-based program, or enrolled as a Nevada-resident student in the online RN/BSN program; and
Completed the 2020/2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) listing NSC’s school code (041143), with an official EFC and confirming the student is either a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen; or
Completed the 2020/2021 NSC Nonfederal Aid Application; or
Was eligible to receive VA benefits, National Guard Fee Waiver, or Department of Defense Tuition Assistance in the spring 2021 semester.

How much CRRSA Act (HEERF II) funding did each student receive?

If they qualified for funding, students received a $500 per semester payment, or $250 if they were enrolled in the online RN/BSN program.

Who qualified for funding from the CARES Act (HEERF I)?

Some students received funding automatically, without any application process. Other students needed to apply; read the sections below for more information.

Who was eligible for an automatic payment of CARES Act (HEERF I) funding at Nevada State?

If students met these eligibility requirements, they did not need to apply for CARES Act funding; it was processed automatically:
Met one of these enrollment categories:
- Enrolled as a degree-seeking or post-baccalaureate student in a ground-based (that is, not fully online) program at least half-time (a minimum of 6 credits for undergraduates and 5 credits for graduate students) in the Spring 2020 semester; OR
- Enrolled at least half-time in a Speech-Language Pathology program (graduate or undergraduate) or in the full- or part-time Nursing program in the Summer 2020 semester (students in the online RN-to-BSN program do not qualify);
Completed the 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) listing NSC’s school code (041143);
Met all of the eligibility requirements to receive Federal Student Aid (referred to as Title IV). These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Student is a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen;
- Student has a valid Social Security number;
- If male, student is registered with the Selective Service;
- Student has a high school diploma, GED, or completed high school in an approved homeschool setting;
Student’s official Expected Family Contribution (EFC), as determined by the FAFSA, is $15,000 or less.

What if students needed financial assistance, but didn’t meet the automatic eligibility requirements for CARES Act (HEERF I) payments at Nevada State?

We used some of the funds to help otherwise qualifying students who did not receive an automatic payment. To be eligible, students must have met the following criteria:

Completed the 2019/2020 or 2020/2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) listing NSC’s school code (041143);
Meet all eligibility requirements to receive Federal Student Aid (Title IV, HEA).

Students were asked to complete a short online application, which is now inactive.
If a student applied but wasn’t approved for CARES Act funds, we automatically reviewed the application to see if they were eligible for other campus emergency funding options that may not have had the same restrictions.

How much CARES Act (HEERF I) funding did each student receive?

If they qualified for funding, students received a $500 per semester payment.

How were HEERF funds paid to students?

We processed payments through the Cashier’s Office and distributed it through the student refund process administered by BankMobile using the preferred fund delivery method set up through the student’s account. Once the payment was completed, the student received an email through the MyNSC portal.

How were the CARES Act (HEERF I) emergency grant funds distributed?

As of September 21, 2020, Nevada State College had distributed to students its entire allocation of $1,377,872 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
There were an estimated 3,944 students at Nevada State College during the spring and summer 2020 semesters 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.
A total of 2,557 students at Nevada State College received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.