HEERF Report

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Reporting(HEERF)

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) is administered by the U.S. Department of Education and provides funding to address higher education challenges created by the COVID‐19 pandemic. As of summer 2021, there have been three rounds of this funding and UC Berkeley has been granted funding in each round.

The well-being and health of our students, staff, and faculty are our top priority. To comply with reporting requirements and to offer transparency to our community, we are providing details about our use of these funds.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Quarterly Reporting Form

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Quarterly Reporting Form released in July 2022. This updated form is posted below.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) I – Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) I, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020. UC Berkeley received the first round of funding in 2020 and of that funding, $15,220,314 was distributed to fund emergency financial aid grants to eligible undergraduate and graduate students. Of the $30,440,627 allocated to UC Berkeley as part of the CARES Act, $15,220,313 was awarded to the institution and this portion was used primarily to support the housing refunds to students who had to vacate their housing under COVID-19 restrictions.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) II – Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act

HEERF II was authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021or CRRSAA and was signed into law on December 27, 2020. UC Berkeley received $45,429,825 from HEERF II, of which $15,220,314 will directly support students. The institutional portion will help mitigate financial impacts directly related to the impact of COVID-19. Eligibility requirements are being clarified by the Department of Education.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) III – American Rescue Plan

HEERF III will be allocated under the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan or ARP and was signed into law on March 11, 2021. UC Berkeley will receive $79,204,086 from HEERF III, with approximately half of the funding planned to support students.

Student portion

To support our students’ financial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of California Berkeley provided emergency financial aid grants to eligible undergraduate and graduate students from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

On April 10, 2020, the University of California Berkeley signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement for Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding and intends to use no less than 50 percent of the funds received under § 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

The following is documented on the the Financial Aid and Scholarships’ COVID-19 Emergency Financial Aid Grants page: total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under § 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, §314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA and § 2003(a)(1) of the ARP; the total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to Students under § 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act,§314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA and § 2003(a)(1) of the ARP; and the estimated total number of students eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under § 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, §314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA and § 2003(a)(1) of the ARP.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office team collaborated with campus partners, including the Division of Equity and Inclusion, the Graduate Division, student government leaders, and the Student Advocate’s Office, to award and distribute these funds. Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students funded by HEERF I were distributed to students starting in Spring 2020 and through Spring 2021. Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students funded by HEERF II were distributed to students in Spring 2021. The IRS website FAQs provide guidance related to exclusion of these payments as gross income for tax reporting purposes, as they are considered qualified disaster relief payments under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code. Likewise, expenses paid with this funding cannot be claimed as deductions. More information is available on the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office website.

For information on the methods used to determine which students received Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive, please reference COVID-19 Service and Support Updates.

Institutional portion

Review the quarterly reporting forms for more information on the institutional portion of the HEERF funding distribution.

Resources