Regents approve plan to distribute emergency grant funds to students

Northwest Missouri State University’s Board of Regents on Friday approved a distribution model for student emergency grant funds as authorized under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III).

Northwest received the allocation of federal emergency grant funds amounting to more than $6.8 million in May to support students enrolled at the University. Similar to prior HEERF funds, the institution is required to prioritize students with exceptional need.

Through the distribution model and as it did in spring 2021, Northwest will prioritize disbursements based on students’ level of need in three tiers. The largest portion of the HEERF III funds will be disbursed to undergraduate Pell recipients at Northwest. The second tier will assist undergraduate students with a FAFSA on file and an annual expected family contribution (EFC) less than $30,000. The third tier will assist students with a FAFSA on file and an annual EFC greater than or equal to $30,000 as well as students with no FAFSA on file, graduate students and international students.

Dual credit students and other non-degree-seeking students are not eligible for the grant funds.

The ARP HEERF III student emergency grant funds are not considered Federal Title IV Student Aid and will not be included in the cost-of-attendance calculation. Further, the payments are a pass-through stimulus to students and will not be used directly by Northwest to pay outstanding account balances.

Northwest distributed a portion of the funds to more than 500 Pell-eligible, undergraduate, continuing students enrolled in summer 2021. The University also plans to use the three-tier model to disburse student emergency grant funds this fall and next spring, based on its census.

The Board of Regents is responsible for sound resource management of the University and determining general, educational and financial policies.