CRRSA Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Report #4

AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE AND RELIEF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FUNDS REPORT #4 — CRRSA (4th Quarter)

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:

  1. Acknowledgment that the institution signed and returned the certification and agreement form and that the institution has used, or intends to use the funds to provide the mandated amount of at least $6,953,900 of the emergency financial aid grants to students:

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.

  1. The total amount of funds that the institution will receive, or has received under the HEERF student portion.

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 $19,000,00.

  1. (a) The total amount that has been distributed to students as of December 31, 2021: $18,336,183.66

(b) The total amount distributed between July 1 and September 30, the fourth

reporting period: $1,182,454.57

  1. The estimated total number of students at the institution that are eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the CRRSAA (a)(1) and (a)(4) programs.

36,215 students

  1. The total number of students who have received an emergency financial aid grant through CRRSA funds:

585 students

  1. How the institution determined which students did, or will receive emergency financial aid grants and how much funding they did, or will receive.

Austin Community College convened a committee with membership from the Chancellor’s cabinet, the Business Office, the Financial Aid Office, the ACC Foundation, 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.

CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants or with extraordinary financial circumstances, in awarding emergency financial aid grants to students. Due to limited funding, ACC will prioritize currently enrolled students, Pell eligible students, and other high need populations. ACC prioritized undocumented and DACA students (starting summer 2021 after updated HEERF guidance was provided in May 2021) because these students have faced significant challenges qualifying for financial aid and emergency relief.

Student Eligibility (updated 12/27/20):

  • Must have FAFSA on file to determine citizenship status
  • Must be actively enrolled in ACC courses
  • Excludes dual credit, international, continuing education, adult education, international students, DACA students, and undocumented students
  • Students may request funds once per semester

On May 11, 2021, ED issued the following updated guidance regarding student eligibility for any remaining CRRSA HEERF II funds:

  • The definition of “eligible student” for all HEERF funding was changed to be any student who is or was enrolled at an eligible institution on or after March 13, 2020 opening eligibility up to students who were, but may not currently be, enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • ED’s changed it’s opinion about applying the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) to emergency funds making undocumented, international, and DACA students eligible for all HEERF funding.
  •  If students are ineligible for CRRSA Act Student Aid, their application will then be considered for ACC’s Student Emergency Fund. Students will not be required to complete an additional request.
  • FAFSA no longer required

Application:

  • CRRSA Act Student Aid Website: https://www.austincc.edu/students/financial-aid/coronavirus-response-and…
  • The application is hosted on a secure Client Resource Management (CRM) system, Maxient, which our teams use to process and follow-up on requests.
  • ChatBot implemented to answer student questions on a 24/7 basis.
  • Processing and Distribution of Emergency Funds
  • The new online application for Student Aid is a single point of entry for CRRSA Act and StudentEmergency Funds.
  • After a student submits their CRRSA application, it is be routed for funding based on the eligibility status of the student
  • It may take 3 – 5 days for disbursements of funds once an application is complete (during peak)
  • ACC Business Office processes disbursements 5 days a week

 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.

CRRSA Student Aid - Financial Help During COVID-19

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
Email 220F Pell Students: Not registered for S21 (Good standing/Probation) 2,009 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y4YGKhS1DK6qBJQ8w5TUD7BCqdZ2LCGFuxIGGT73Ick/edit?ts=600f4dd0 https://conta.cc/39mhv8R 1/26/2021 1/26 @ 9am Resend to non-openers: 1/29/20 @ 9am Results: 1/28: 34% Open, 10% Clicks
Email 220F Pell Students: Not registered for S21 (Ineligible SAP – still qualify for CRRSA) 780 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y4YGKhS1DK6qBJQ8w5TUD7BCqdZ2LCGFuxIGGT73Ick/edit?ts=600f4dd0 https://conta.cc/3oopMgG 1/27/2021 1/27 @ 9:30am Resend to non-openers: 2/1 @ 9:30am Results: 1/28: 33% Opens – 18% Clicks
Email Pell-eligible enrolled 221S (eligible & ineligible SAP – still qualify for CRRSA) 6911 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI9rTlVWs/edit https://conta.cc/3oxA7XP 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
Email All Spring 21 Trad Students 36,290 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZEF6t3w3c6vtCaEUNvD8BBqfoDrkfwSn1zirQMWfdlw/edit?ts=60104660 https://conta.cc/2M3DJDH 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) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bsdNGTbTfeEfLfacOmNaS_i_uMTn8AAFZm7gAr-TlW0/edit 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 https://conta.cc/3bz7qH9 1/30/2021 Results: 40.3% Open Rate
Email Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) 150 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gUi_YOceDFk8IIJQJLTMhrCWbGeqB55KDAKUCGwsQ3c/edit Through Colleague 4/12/2021 4/12/2021 NA
Email Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) 300 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gUi_YOceDFk8IIJQJLTMhrCWbGeqB55KDAKUCGwsQ3c/edit Through Colleague 4/13/2021 4/13/2021 NA
Email Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) 300 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gUi_YOceDFk8IIJQJLTMhrCWbGeqB55KDAKUCGwsQ3c/edit Through Colleague 4/14/2021 4/14/2021 NA
Email Zero EFC Students enrolled 221S (have not applied for CRRSA or CARES) 800 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gUi_YOceDFk8IIJQJLTMhrCWbGeqB55KDAKUCGwsQ3c/edit Through Colleague 4/21/2021 4/21/2021 NA
Mass Comms
(Shared by Jessica)
External Community / Prospective Students Ongoing https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UgPo1So-s7zBVEnMHRzlFpsCtZiWbPXX8-y2G1zF2no/edit#
Summer 2021
Communication Mode Student Population # students Google Doc Message Constant Contact Link Date Proposed to send Date Sent Open Rate on CC Email
Email THECB Cohort (Fall 2018) 168 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Pl8VL7vlPP-80pkOQ67y4S5sYZPZO_TemYO6yvrYoA/edit https://conta.cc/3ukQGdf 4/28/2021 5/4/2021 Results: 49.1% Open Rate 1.2% CTR
Email THECB Cohort (Fall 2019) 752 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Pl8VL7vlPP-80pkOQ67y4S5sYZPZO_TemYO6yvrYoA/edit https://conta.cc/2RhRxwg 4/28/2021 5/4/2021 Results: 54.8% Open Rate 3.7% CTR
Email THECB Cohort (Fall 2020) 1,643 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Pl8VL7vlPP-80pkOQ67y4S5sYZPZO_TemYO6yvrYoA/edit https://conta.cc/3uc5oD5 4/28/2021 5/4/2021 Results: 54.6% Open Rate 7.0% CTR
Call Pell Eligible THECB Cohorts (Fall 2018, 2019, & 2020) 913 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bmXV5RGuA9vRrmNaDElLEKUGUba6SLnq/edit?rtpof=true NA 4/28/2021 5/5/2021 There were 913 total calls, we spoke with 226 students and 10 others. 91 had registered, 70 no interested in registering,45 interested in registering
Email Pell-eligible enrolled 221U (eligible & ineligible SAP – still qualify for CRRSA) 3,303 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI9rTlVWs/edit https://conta.cc/3fm9J1I 5/26/2021 5/26/2021 Results: 75.0% Open Rate 54.0% CTR
Email Undocumented Students (TASFA/DACA) 387 https://docs.google.com/document/d/11UjINOtm443s8cm_70x7cMk2DF2LkRWXc_eyvCKlRBc/edit https://conta.cc/3up6nPr 5/26/2021 5/26/2021 Results: 59.0% Open Rate 48.0% CTR
Fall 2021 (CRRSA)
Communication Mode Student Population # students Google Doc Message Constant Contact Link Date Proposed to send Date Sent Open Rate on CC Email
Email Pell-eligible enrolled 221F (eligible & ineligible SAP – still qualify for CRRSA) 3,437 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI… https://conta.cc/3hIbPtH 7/15/2021
Resend
7/19/2021
7/15/2021
Resend
7/19/2021
Results: 86% Open Rate 58% CTR
Email Non-Pell eligible FA students enrolled 221F 1,910 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI… https://conta.cc/2Uqgt6V 7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
Results: 75% Open Rate 47% CTR
Email Undocumented Students (TASFA/DACA)enrolled 221F 139 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI… https://conta.cc/3kCLSO4 7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
Results: 65% Open Rate 29% CTR
Email BRASS/Ascender enrolled 221F 147 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI… https://conta.cc/3iwpOlt 7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
Results: 75% Open Rate 36% CTR
Email Dual Credit enrolled 221F 4,070 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI… https://conta.cc/3zbyCUI 7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
Results: 32% Open Rate 3% CTR
Email CE enrolled 221F 415 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ABb6uyKS6cuMBsea0CnyW0dKUK364NuMBlTI… https://conta.cc/3kz4Jtn 7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
7/20/2021
Resend
7/23/2021
Results: 49% Open Rate 32% CTR
Text Opt-In Text – Financial Aid Students 3,262 https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LFKEvs3oKLJqJgUP-1toFYC2LvY91Ml8gXZFaNYAuc/edit NA 11/4/2021
Resend 11/5/2021
11/4/2021
Resend 11/5/2021
NA
Email Opt-In Text – Financial Aid Students 3,220 NA https://conta.cc/3bJMXhm 11/5/2021
Resend
11/8/2021
11/5/2021
Resend
11/8/2021
Results: 62% Open Rate 7% CTR
Email Pell-eligible enrolled 221F (eligible & ineligible SAP – still qualify for CRRSA) 4,123 NA https://conta.cc/2ZQotQZ 11/5/2021
Resend
11/8/2021
11/5/2021
Resend
11/8/2021
Results: 61% Open Rate 9% CTR
Email All Fall ‘21 Students 22,294 NA https://conta.cc/3ks4csl 11/11/2021
No Resend Date
11/11/2021 Results: 40% Open Rate 2% CTR

Web Traffic Analysis

Analysis:  The overall page views for the information on all pages is 25,933 for the period which is a decrease of 24.12%. We see a spikes in mid-late December after periods of lower traffic volume that correlates with messaging and promotions on available funds/application open/close dates as previous patterns have shown.

 How they found it: Inbound Google search query traffic:

Analysis: This chart displayed the volume of search queries using the Google search engine which displayed results with ACC ARP information. Impressions are defined as a result displayed, a click would be a click on that result. This chart loosely matches the traffic pattern result above with an exception for a spike in queries in mid-October.

Top Search Queries:

Query Clicks Impressions
acc arp 279 537
156 111 350
arp acc 105 175
acc american rescue plan 73 111
acc arp fund 68 116
american rescue plan acc 67 94
acc cares act 60 90
arp austin community college 35 62
acc covid relief fund 30 66

Media Advisory

Advisories/Pitches

  1. August 9, 2021: More money for financial aid than ever before
  2. August 23, 2021: More money for financial aid than ever before
  3. September 3, 2021: Get extra financial support right now through the new American Rescue Plan

Media Coverage

  1. September 16, 2021: ACCENT | Financial Aid for Beginners

http://sites.austincc.edu/accent/financial-aid-for-beginners/

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