CRRSAA Funding for Students

Who will receive this award?
All Pell-eligible students enrolled at Ridgewater College, who also meet the CRRSAA eligibility requirements, will receive a Pandemic Relief (Pell Eligible) Grant disbursement from this pool of funds.

How is Pell Grant eligibility determined?
Pell Grant eligibility is determined through a student’s FAFSA.  If a student received a Pell Grant for the Spring Semester 2021, they are Pell-eligible.

How much will be awarded to each student and when will it be disbursed?
Each student will receive an automatic award of $600 to be issued via check or direct deposit between March 12 and March 19, 2021.  A total of $601,200 was allocated to this category of funding (62% of total funds available). 

How will students know if they are receiving a Pandemic Relief (Pell Eligible) Grant? 
Students should log into e-Services and check their Financial Aid Awards screen on or after March 11.  Students with direct deposit should see the funds in their bank account on March 12.

How will Pandemic Relief (Pell Eligible) Grants be disbursed?
Checks will be mailed to the student’s permanent address on file if direct deposit has not been set up. 

Who will receive this award?
Students who meet the CRRSAA eligibility requirements, who are not Pell-eligible, and whose Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is in the range of $5,001 to $15,000 will receive a Pandemic Relief (EFC Below $15,000) Grant disbursement from this pool of funds.  

How are EFC and Pell eligibility determined?
Pell eligibility and a student’s EFC are both determined through a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  A student can view his EFC score by logging into his FAFSA for the academic year 2020-21.

How much will be awarded to each student? 
The award amounts for eligible students are as follows:

EFC ($5,501-$10,000):  $450 per student
EFC ($10,001-$15,000):  $300 per student

A total of $157,650 was allocated to this category of funding (16% of total funds available).

How will students know if they are receiving a Pandemic Relief (Pell Eligible) Grant? 
Students should log into e-Services and check their Financial Aid Awards screen on or after March 11; they can also check their email for a notification from the Financial Aid office.  

How and when will Pandemic Relief Grants (EFC Below $15,000) be disbursed?
Each eligible student will receive an automatic award to be issued via check or direct deposit between March 12 and March 19, 2021.  Checks will be mailed to the student’s permanent address on file if direct deposit has not been set up.  Students with direct deposit should see the funds in their account on March 12.

Any student who meets the eligibility requirement listed above and who has experienced financial difficulty or hardship related to COVID-19 may apply for a Financial Assistance grant. 

Grant funds may be used toward any component of the student’s cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, books, housing, food, etc.), for health care including mental health, or for unexpected or emergency costs that have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  A total of $216,608 was allocated to this category of funding (22% of total funding).

At this time, the application for the CRRSAA Financial Assistance Grants is closed. We have received an abundance of applications for this assistance and we anticipate these funds will be exhausted based on the current number of applicants.

Those who have submitted an application will be notified of their application status within 8-10 business days of their submission date. If you did not qualify for this federal grant and are in need of assistance, please check our Student Resources page for additional options and contact information.

Are fully online students eligible to apply?  
Yes.  This is a change from the CARES Act criteria.  

If a student received a CARES Act emergency grant, can the student apply for this CRRSAA grant?  
Yes.  

If a student received a CRRSAA automatic Pandemic Relief grant, can the student also apply for this Financial Assistance grant?  
Yes.  

How much will be awarded to each student?
If approved, each CRRSAA Financial Assistance Grant will be up to $1,000. $1,000 is the maximum per student; this is a one-time award. 

How and when will students be notified of their application status? 
Students will be notified of their award status via email within 8-10 business days after submitting their application. If awarded, the CRRSAA Financial Assistance Grant will be disbursed as indicated on the student’s application (either applied to an existing account balance or awarded directly via check or direct deposit).

How will awards be disbursed?
Checks will be mailed to the student’s permanent address on file if direct deposit has not been set up. Students are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit in e-Services, under the Financial Aid tab.

Please explore our Ridgewater College Student Emergency Resources and/or schedule a time with one of our Ridgewater counselors.

Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements listed above.  Note CRRSAA expanded the eligibility for student funding to include fully online students and those taking non-credit courses (which were not included in CARES Act eligibility).  

Yes, as long as the student can explain why they need the additional funds on their Financial Assistance Grant application. Note, the CRRSAA Pandemic Relief automatic grant amounts received by a student do NOT count towards the Financial Assistance Grant award maximum of $1,000.

Yes, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements noted above.   

Ridgewater College followed the eligibility criteria established by CRRSAA and Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and consulted with students, faculty and staff in developing a process and distribution plan for the student funds.  The distribution plan developed considered Pell Grant eligibility, EFC calculations, and information learned from distributing funds through the CARES Act in 2020.  For reference, you can view our Minnesota State approved plan.

No. Emergency financial aid grants under CRRSAA for cost of attendance, unexpected expenses, unmet financial need, or expenses related to COVID-19 are qualified disaster relief payments under section 139 of the Internal Revenue Code.  This grant is not included in your gross income.

Note: Because the emergency financial aid grant is not included in your gross income, you cannot claim any deduction or credit for expenses paid with the grant including the tuition and fees deduction, the American Opportunity Credit, or the Lifetime Learning Credit. See section 139(h) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Yes.  You can donate your Pandemic Relief Grant funds to the Ridgewater Foundation after you have received them and we will work to distribute them to a student in need. Contact Ashley Gabbert at 320-222-6098 or via email at [email protected] to learn more. You can also learn more about making a gift to the Ridgewater Foundation here: ridgewater.edu/ways-to-give/

For information on the automatic Pandemic Relief Grants disbursed on March 12, please email Jim Rice, Director of Financial Aid, at [email protected] or call 320-222-7488.

For information on the Financial Assistance Grant application, please email Ashley Gabbert at [email protected] or call 320-222-6098.