COVID-19 and 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. The total amount of funds that South Dakota Mines has been allocated for student assistance is $727,849.  South Dakota Mines fully intends to award these funds to eligible students.

3. As of September 17, 2020, $448,202.60 in Emergency Financial Aid Grants, under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, have been processed for disbursement to eligible students at South Dakota Mines.  These figures will be updated as awards are made and disbursed per the required 30-day Report after participation application and every 45 days thereafter.

4. Per our records, 1437 students at South Dakota Mines are 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.  Another 508 students were considered provisionally eligible pending determination of meeting the above stated requirement for Title IV aid.

5. As of September 17, 2020, 425 Emergency Financial Aid Grant awards have been processed for disbursement to 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.  To date two reminder notices have been sent to eligible students who had not previously applied.  Students are informed the assistance is coming from the U.S. Federal Government, why the assistance is being offered, and what qualifies 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 are 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 are received electronically and reviewed by a committee that determines if the expenses incurred fall under the requirements of the CARES Act.  Students are notified of the approval and an approximate date of the assistance disbursements.  Students are also notified if clarifying information is needed before a final decision is made. Students are also informed if their request is 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, are eligible to click on the following link and complete the CARES Act Student Assistance Application:

https://interact.sdsmt.edu/fa/CARES/