AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS REPORT #2 -- CRRSA
June 30, 2021
While the U.S. Department of Education (ED) develops a process for institutions to directly provide the required reporting data, it has in the meantime called for institutions to make easily accessible to the public — via the institution's website — the following items:
On January 15, 2021, Dr. Richard Rhodes, ACC chancellor/CEO, signed and submitted to the Department of Education (ED) the Certification and Agreement for a formula grant under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act HEERF II). ACC intends to use the maximum amount possible for emergency aid to students. In compliance with ED mandate to provide at least the same amount of funding in financial aid grants to students as was required to be provided under sections 18004(a)(1) and (c) of division B of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The minimum allocated to emergency aid to students is $6,953,900. ACC has elected to exceed this amount with a total allocation of $16,000,00.
ACC has received $32,959,121 of which $6,953,900 is to be used for CRRSA Act Student Aid. ACC has elected to exceed this amount with a total allocation of $16,000,00.
(b) The total amount distributed between March 31 and June 30, the second
reporting period: $4,008,040
27749 students
6,020 students
Austin Community College convened a committee with membership from the president’s cabinet, the business office, the financial aid office, the ACC foundation office, student affairs communication, ACC marketing, student support advocates, and enrollment management. The following brief was developed:
Overview: On April 20, 2021, ACC received $6,953,900 from the Department of Education as part of the CRRSA Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. ACC will distribute these emergency funds to students who have experienced or are faced with disruptions of education due to COVID-19. The coronavirus has negatively impacted the health and wellness of ACC students and their families, as well as the regional economy. ACC is keenly aware that the COVID-19 impact has exacerbated pre-existing systemic inequalities and has affected Central Texas’s marginalized communities more deeply than others. In a coordinated effort, ACC will swiftly distribute funds in such a way that it empowers students to use them for their greatest priorities, such as food, housing, health care, child care, learning materials, and more. With the distribution of funding, students will have access to ACC’s full social support resources. ACC has limited the award to $2,500 per student per semester.
Student Eligibility(updated 12/27/20):
On May 11, 2021, ED issued the following updated guidance regarding student eligibility for any remaining CRRSA HEERF II funds:
Application:
7) Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided by the institution to students concerning the emergency financial aid grants.
CRRSA Act Student Aid Design
Below, is an example of the CRRSA Act Student Aid design used across multiple web and social media channels to build awareness of and promote access to the CRRSA Act funds for students.
Student Communication
Spring 2021 |
||||||||
Communication Mode |
Student Population |
# students |
Google Doc Message |
Constant Contact Link |
Date Proposed to send |
Date Sent |
Open Rate on CC Email |
Subsequent Nudges (Date) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
220F Pell Students: Not registered for S21 (Good standing/Probation) |
2,009 |
1/26/2021 |
|
Results: 1/28: 34% Open, 10% Clicks |
Week of February 8th |
||
|
220F Pell Students: Not registered for S21 (Ineligible SAP - still qualify for CRRSA) |
780 |
1/27/2021 |
1/27 @ 9:30am Resend to non-openers: 2/1 @ 9:30am |
Results: 1/28: 33% Opens - 18% Clicks |
Week of February 8th |
||
|
Pell-eligible enrolled 221S (eligible & ineligible SAP - still qualify for CRRSA) |
6911 |
1/27/2021 before 5 pm |
1/27 @ 4:45pm Resend to non-openers: 1/31 @ 4:45pm |
Results 1/28: 65% Opens - 48% Clicks |
Week of February 8th |
||
|
All Spring 21 Trad Students |
36,290 |
Before 11:00 AM 1/28/2021 |
1/28 @1:15pm Resend to non-openers, 2/1 |
Results: 2/4: 58% Opens - 7% Clicks |
|||
Text |
Opt-In Text - Financial Aid Students |
8,547 total (3,547 pell eligible) |
NA |
From 10AM - 2PM (in batches) 1/28/2021 |
From 10AM - 2PM (in batches) 1/28/2021 |
Results: 366 Inbound texts on 1/28 (4% of population) |
||
SA NL |
All Spring ‘21 Students |
36K |
1/30/2021 |
Results: 40.3% Open Rate |
||||
|
Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) |
150 |
Through Colleague |
4/12/2021 |
4/12/2021 |
NA |
||
|
Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) |
300 |
Through Colleague |
4/13/2021 |
4/13/2021 |
NA |
||
|
Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) |
300 |
Through Colleague |
4/14/2021 |
4/14/2021 |
NA |
||
|
Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) |
800 |
Through Colleague |
4/21/2021 |
4/21/2021 |
NA |
||
Mass Comms |
External Community / Prospective Students |
Ongoing |
CRRSA Web Traffic from March 31, 2021 through June 30, 2021:
Analysis: Major spikes in CRRSA web[age traffic correlate to the opening and closing of the CRRSA application form on ACC’s website. Smaller spikes have been attributed to communication pushes such as emails to current students and other alerts.
How they found it: Search Query top 10:
Query |
Clicks |
Impressions |
---|---|---|
acc cares act |
130 |
206 |
acc covid relief |
111 |
124 |
acc crrsa |
87 |
134 |
crrsa austin community college |
85 |
153 |
cares act acc |
41 |
51 |
crrsa acc |
18 |
21 |
acc covid relief fund |
13 |
16 |
cares acc |
12 |
24 |
coronavirus response and relief supplemental appropriations (crrsa) act |
9 |
197 |
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