COVID-19 and CARES Act Student Assistance and Institutional Grants

CRRSA ACT and HEERF II Awards

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act (enacted December 27, 2020) provided additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF II). A portion of these funds were designated to be spent as emergency funds for students. The HEERF II allocations were in addition to the initial HEERF I funds received as part of the CARES Act in April 2020.  On January 17, 2021, SD School of Mines & Technology (Mines) received the Grant Award Notification (GAN) for the HEERF II Institutional Funds. The GAN for the HEERF II Student Funds was received on February 9, 2021.

CRRSA HEERF II Student Funds Award: $727,849

CRRSA HEERF II Institutional Funds Award: $1,537,094

Total CRRSA HEERF II Student and Institutional Funds Awards: $2,264,943

CARES Act Student Assistance Grants

Notice: South Dakota Mines has fully exhausted our CARES Act Student Assistance Grants allocation; as a result, no further applications are being accepted for CARES Act Student Assistance Grants.

1. On April 23, 2020, Dr. James Rankin, South Dakota Mines President, signed the Certification and Agreement to participate in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act relative to Student Assistance funding.  By signing the document, he certified that South Dakota Mines 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.

2. South Dakota Mines was allocated $727,849 for Student Assistance Grants.  The intent of South Dakota Mines was to fully award these funds to eligible students.

3. As of November 6, 2020, $727,849 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants, under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, had been processed for disbursement to eligible students at South Dakota Mines.  As a result, South Dakota Mines has fully disbursed our CARES Act Student Grants to eligible students.

4. Per our records, 1448 students at South Dakota Mines were determined 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.

5. As of November 6, 2020, 577 Emergency Financial Aid Grant awards were processed for disbursement to 525 eligible students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

6. South Dakota Mines notified eligible students of the availability of CARES Act Student Assistance via an e-mail from our president.  Three reminder notices were sent to eligible students who had not previously applied.  Students were informed that the assistance was coming from the U.S. Federal Government, why the assistance was being offered, and what qualified as an allowable expense they incurred due to campus closure and the move to online course delivery and how to apply through our online application. Students were asked to select one or more of the following areas eligible for assistance and then provide a requested amount and a brief description of the expenses incurred:

  • Temporary relocation for new housing arrangements
  • Living expenses (food, rent, utilities, incurred due to moving out of campus housing)
  • Extra living expenses for a previously shared apartment or house in the Rapid City area that you now have sole responsibility for
  • Technology not previously needed due to the switch to all online classes
  • Health care that you are now fully responsible for
  • Childcare
  • Other expenses incurred due to campus closure not noted above

7. Completed applications were received electronically and reviewed by a committee that determined if the expenses incurred fell under the requirements of the CARES Act.  Students were notified of the approval and an approximate date of the assistance disbursements.  Students were also notified if clarifying information was needed before a final decision was made. Based upon the approved allowable expenses that students had incurred, they were free to use the CARES Act Student Assistance Grants as best met their needs.  Students were also informed if their request was not approved by reason of not meeting the requirements of the CARES Act.

8. Students who received the e-mail notification from Dr. Rankin or subsequent reminders from David Martin, Financial Aid Director, were eligible to click on a link and complete the CARES Act Student Assistance Application.  Since we have exhausted our allocation, the online application is no longer available.

South Dakota Mines Institutional CARES Act

Institutions receiving funds under Section 18004 of the CARES Act are required to submit a report to the US Department of Education describing the use of funds distributed from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). This page provides public information about Mines’ participation in the CARES Act and use of the HEERF Institutional Portion (P425F202087). This information will be updated no later than 10 days after the end of each calendar quarter.