Info for Current Students

Responding to Coronavirus:  Important Information for Our College Community

On Wednesday, March 11th, the College announced that all academic instruction for the balance of the Winter semester would be delivered online in virtual classrooms via Blackboard Collaborate. Spring semester classes, which began on April 30th, will remain in the virtual classrooms until public health experts and authorities relax social distancing requirements in our region and deem it safe to reopen our campuses.

We’re Here to Help

During this time, our academic and student support teams are working remotely to comply with heightened social distancing requirements mandated by New York and neighboring states. Faculty and staff remain available and ready to assist students with whatever they may need by phone, email, text, and video-calls. Essential personnel are on campus to maintain College operations and security. 

Any questions or concerns may be addressed to the President’s Office:

Marc Jerome / President
914.740.6803 or mjerome@monroecollege.edu

Jackie Ruegger / Executive Director of Public Affairs
914.740.6455 or jruegger@monroecollege.edu

Our Response

Helping students who are struggling in the current public health crisis is our top institutional priority.

With campuses in the Bronx and New Rochelle – two of the country’s coronavirus “hot spots” – we see every day the significant financial hardship that the pandemic is causing students and their families, especially those in lower income brackets. Our Bronx campus is, after all, located in the poorest Congressional district in the country, and three-quarters of our Title IV-eligible students are also eligible for PELL.

Our students are struggling – and we understand that they need us to do more than support their health and wellness or academic success right now. They need our compassion and some help navigating through the many layers of stress the pandemic has caused in all aspects of their lives. The decisions we made in response to the coronavirus outbreak reflect that abundant need and the students-first philosophy that has been a cornerstone of our culture since 1933.  

When we transitioned all on-campus instruction to virtual classrooms in mid-March, it was the right thing to do to protect students, faculty, and staff as the pandemic escalated. Yet, doing so created its own set of challenges. Not all of our students would have ready access to computers at home, for example. Most had to use their cell phones, which was far from ideal. So we started a Student Laptop Program, investing $110,000 to help students in need acquire a laptop so that they would have the technological resources needed to do well in the current Spring semester. Some laptops were delivered to students’ homes in person, others by FedEx. For students who chose to come to campus to pick one up, we had a careful process in place to ensure everyone’s safety.

Sometimes it wasn’t the technology that was the issue. It was getting home once we closed the campus. For our international students, “home” was thousands of miles away and no safe or affordable way to get there. We understood the logistical and financial impracticalities that a mandatory move-out would cause them, so we simply didn’t do it. We kept the dorms open for those who needed us to, and added social distancing requirements that restricted their mobility around the buildings to keep them safe.

We’ve taken that same students-first approach to helping our students financially.

CARES Act HEERF Allocation

On April 28th, Monroe received access to approximately $5.7 million in CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) earmarked for student aid. Within 10 days, we distributed the first round of emergency relief grants to students. Eligible full-time students received a $1,000 cash grant, with part-time students receiving a pro-rated amount based on their course load. More than $2.6 million was distributed at that time to nearly 79% of students who met the government guidelines. (see sidebar for specific HEERF details and disclosures). More grants were distributed since then, and will continue to be distributed as eligible students complete their required certification forms.

“Our team worked incredibly hard to get these much-needed funds into the hands of our students as quickly as possible,” said Marc Jerome, president of Monroe College. “More than 90% of the grant recipients live near our New York campuses in the Bronx and New Rochelle – two of the pandemic’s hardest hit areas. We know that their families are struggling and that we had to do everything we could to help them.”

In addition to the above distribution, we created a second, supplemental grant program to provide additional student aid to eligible students who experienced financial hardship not covered by the initial $1,000 grant (or the pro-rated amount for part-time students). 

Disclosure Information

When did Monroe College sign and return the HEERF Certification and Agreement?
April 14, 2020

Will Monroe College distribute at least 50% of the funds allocated under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students?
YES

How much was allocated to Monroe College for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students?
$5,704,039.00             

What is the total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act through May 28, 2020?
$3,465,625.00

How many students at Monroe College meet the eligibility criteria to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act (as defined under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965)?
3,835    

How many eligible students at Monroe College have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant through the date specified two questions above?
3,455

How did Monroe College determine which students would receive an Emergency Financial Aid grant under Section 1800(a)(1) of the CARES Act and the amount they would receive?
Given the demographics of our student population and our location in two communities hardest hit by the pandemic, the College determined that all of our eligible students had significant need for financial relief. The amount each student received was based on enrollment status.

We created two internal funds to distribute the emergency grants to students. One fund is called the COVID-19 STUDENT RELIEF FUND and the second is called the CARES STUDENT SUPPLEMENTAL RELIEF FUND. The latter provides additional student aid to eligible students who experienced financial hardship not covered by the initial $1,000 grant (or pro-rated amount for part-time students) through the COVID-19 STUDENT RELIEF FUND.

What information was provided to students about the availability of the Emergency Financial Aid Grants and the process to obtain one?

Eligible students learned about the Emergency Financial Aid Grants through an email, text, and voice message campaign that shared a link to complete the required Student Certification Form on our website.

 

Students who received the $1,000 (or prorated amount) certified that:

 

“I am requesting a one-time Emergency Financial Aid Grant from the COVID-19 STUDENT RELIEF FUND to help cover the cost of expenses incurred or to be incurred due to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

By completing the form below, I certify that:

The grant funds provided to me by the College through the COVID-19 STUDENT RELIEF FUND will be used for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including one or more eligible expenses under the cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care expenses.”

 


Students who received a grant through the second, supplemental fund we created certified that:

“I am requesting a one-time Emergency Financial Aid Grant from the CARES SUPPLEMENTAL RELIEF FUND to help cover the cost of eligible expenses incurred or to be incurred due to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

By completing the form below, I certify that:

1. I have or will incur expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus, including one or more of the following areas (check all that apply):

  • __Unexpected housing expenses (such as having to contribute to rent) 
  • __Unplanned travel expenses to return home
  • __Increased food expenses
  • __Overdue bills (including medical, utility, rent)
  • __Expenses relating to coursework, including technology expenses like laptops and wifi access to attend the virtual classrooms
  • __Doctors’ bills and other medical costs
  • __Loss of childcare services or extra expenses to obtain childcare

I understand that the maximum amount of supplemental relief I may be awarded from the CARES SUPPLEMENTAL RELIEF FUND is $4,000 and Monroe College may determine that my need for eligible expenses is below this maximum amount.

2. The grant funds provided to me by the College through the CARES SUPPLEMENTAL RELIEF FUND will be used for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, including one or more eligible expenses under the cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care expenses.”