March 3, 2021
Dear Students:
This message serves as an update to the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, (CRRSAA – 2021), which was passed on December 27, 2020. This law is an extension of the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that passed March 2020.
During the Spring 2020 semester, TCNJ received CARES Act funds to support students during the COVID pandemic. Unlike other colleges and universities who chose to award only part of their CARES Act funds during the Spring 2020 semester and reserved some of those funds for the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters, TCNJ made a decision to award all CARES Act funds during the Spring 2020 semester. The College made over 1,800 awards to students totaling $2,514,066 and all funds have been spent.
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, (CRRSAA – 2021), which was passed on December 27, 2020, allocated a new round of funds to TCNJ. This new round of funds has stricter eligibility criteria than the original CARES Act funds from last Spring.
“Unlike the CARES Act, the CRRSAA requires that institutions prioritize students with exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants.”
Although we understand that many families are experiencing financial challenges due to the pandemic, the College must adhere to the new guidance provided by the US Department of Education in determining eligibility for these funds. Therefore, in order to comply with this new stricter eligibility criterion, only students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant or an NJ State Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) qualify for the new round of funds.
Students who are not eligible for a Pell Grant or a TAG award may visit our Special Circumstances page to see if they qualify for a reevaluation of their financial aid awards. https://financialaid.tcnj.edu/useful-links/sources-of-financial-aid/special-circumstances/
We anticipate that awards for those students who are eligible will begin to be processed on or around April 1, 2021. More information will be provided as the date nears.
Sincerely,
Wil Casaine
Executive Director of Financial Aid