In accepting HEERF funds in which LSUA applied and received, LSUA agreed to publicly disclosing the information listed below. This information is being reporting in order to comply with Section 18004(e) of the CARES Act.
1. 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.
Certification and Agreement for CARES Act funds were submitted and no less than 50% of funds received under section 18004(a)(1) will be used to provide student grants.
2. 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.
LSUA received $999,278 pursuant to the institution's certificate and agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
3. 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).
LSUA has distributed $853,007 as of July 29, 2020.
4. The estimated total number of students at the institution who are or could be eligible to participate in the Federal student financial aid programs under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and thus are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of May 1, 2020, LSUA identified 1,702 students who were, or potentially could be, eligible for CARES funding.
5. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
As of July 29, 2020, LSUA has disbursed CARES awards to 1,538 students.
6. 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 following criteria were used to award CARES funding to students:
Students who will be receiving CARES awards:
Students who are not eligible and will not receive an award:
Any student fitting in to the eligible categories listed above will receive funding from the CARES Act. LSUA will not be requiring an application process. If a student meets the criteria, they will receive a CARES award. LSUA began processing awards to students on May 12, 2020.
Award amounts will range from a base level of $200 up to $1050 – depending on the number of credits hours enrolled, as well as the amount of federal aid received for the spring 2020 semester.
7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants.
The following email was sent to students:
May 8, 2020
Dear Generals,
As a result of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) that was recently signed into law, institutions of higher education, including LSUA, will be receiving funds that are to be granted to students who may have experienced a financial hardship while transitioning from face-to-face to online instruction. As a follow-up to my email to students dated May 3rd, I want to share additional information regarding eligibility, award amounts, and a timeline for disbursements.
In compliance with the guidelines and eligibility requirements set forth by the United States Department of Education (vs Education’s) (USDOE), the following outlines which students are eligible, as well as those who will not receive funding.
Students who will be receiving CARES awards:
Students who are not eligible and will not receive an award:
Any student fitting in to the eligible categories listed above will receive funding from the CARES Act. LSUA will not be requiring an application process. If a student meets the criteria, they will receive a CARES award. LSUA will begin processing awards to students on May 12, 2020. Please allow up to three weeks for disbursements to be completed.
**Any student who has not yet submitted a FAFSA for the 2019-2020 award year, but wishes to receive a CARES Act award, must complete and submit the FAFSA prior to June 1, 2020. The FAFSA can be submitted through the Department of Education’s website found here: www.fafsa.gov. LSUA's school code is: 002011. You may also contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for additional information at financialaid@lsua.edu. Awards for students who have not yet submitted a FAFSA, but do so prior to the deadline, will be disbursed after June 1, 2020.
CARES Act awards will not be applied to accounts with outstanding balances. Each student will receive their full award amount even if they owe a balance to the university. Students who wish to use these funds to pay toward their balance may do so by making a payment through Self-Service or by contacting the Accounting Office at (318) 473-6407.
The LSUA CARES Act website containing much of this same information can be found here: http://www.lsua.edu/caresact/
FAQ’s will be updated with additional questions/answers as they arise.