CARES Act

ASUMH has signed a Certification and Agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to distribute 50 percent of funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the Federal CARES Act as Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. Pursuant to the signed agreement, ASUMH has received $529,785.00 for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. On May 11, 2020, ASUMH delivered $423,145.00 to students enrolled in Spring 2020 semester. Based upon guidance at the time, ASUMH delivered Emergency Financial Aid Grant funds to 626 students who were determined eligible to receive the funds. 

Greetings,

I want to thank all of our instructors for the outstanding work they have done to complete the spring 2020 semester. This historical event has been a challenge and our faculty have met that challenge with resolve and creativity. I also want to congratulate our students for completing their courses and managing through these changes that have occurred over the past two months. 

I am happy to inform you that the CARES ACT Student Relief Funds are now available for ASUMH to disburse to our students. Any student who was enrolled on March 1, 2020 and is eligible under the Cares Act provision will be receiving a grant this week. I have attached a letter to students explaining the CARES ACT provisions. Essentially the ACT requires that a student be Federal Aid eligible in order to receive a grant. The grant funds will be distributed based on a formula using each student's enrollment level and the need determined from the Federal Application For Student Assistance (FAFSA). A letter to students is attached explaining the CARES ACT eligibility. 

As a reminder, the campus is still closed to the public and our employees are working remotely. There are a number of staff members on campus each day, as we maintain the functions that must be completed in person. We intend to offer all courses for the Summer I and Summer II semesters online. There will be some in person sessions for certain programs that require clinical or laboratory work. Instructors will communicate those in person sessions to students and the protocols that will be followed once final plans are made for each course. We encourage all students to consider enrolling in both summer terms as well as the fall term. Your education will be even more important to you in the economy of the future. 

I also wanted to announce that ASUMH will conduct a graduation activity next week on campus. This activity will allow each graduate to drive through the portico of Roller Hall. The graduate will be given their cap and gown to wear for a presentation and picture receiving their diploma. This event will be recorded and posted to social media as a virtual graduation ceremony. Although this is not the ceremony we had envisioned for our students, it does allow each student the opportunity to come to campus, with family members in the car, and have them witness the presentation of the diploma. This event will be conducted over a three-day period and we will be announcing the dates and times to the graduates later this week. Look for the virtual ceremony online in the coming weeks.

Again, I extend my thanks and gratitude to everyone and my congratulations to our Trailblazer Graduates of 2020.

 

Thanks,

Robin Myers

Chancellor

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