The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act) contains Education Provisions in Title II of the Act. These provisions apply to all qualified institutions of higher education as defined in the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended. To view the CARES Act in its entirety, click here. Specifically, the education provisions begin on page 215. Below please find a summary of these provision.

• ​For the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 award years the non-federal matching share of Federal Work Study (FWS) and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG) funds are being waived.
• The need calculation for students affected by COVID-19 is being waived for SEOG. Students may receive SEOG funds up to the maximum PELL allowed for the applicable award year. The total SEOG a school may disburse is still limited to the SEOG authorization that the school has been allocated.
• Schools who offer FWS can pay students for up to one year if they are unable to perform their work due to COVID-19. Payment can be made as a one time grant or multiple payments and can be equal to or less than the normal FWS wages paid. Eligible students must:
  • Receive FWS award for the award year
  • Earn FWS wages for the award year
  • Be prevented from fulfilling FWS obligations
• Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP) funds are excluded from loan limits for any semester or equivalent that the student is unable to stay enrolled as a result of COVID-19
• PELL funds are excluded from lifetime limits for any semester or equivalent that the student is unable to stay enrolled as a result of COVID-19
• Return to Title IV (R2T4) is waived if the student withdraws during a payment period of period of enrollment due to COVID-19
• The student portion of R2T4 is waived if the student dropped during a payment period or period of enrollment due to COVID-19
• A portion of FDLP borrower obligation to repay is cancelled is the student withdrew during the payment period or period of enrollment to to COVID-19
• As a result of COVID-19, schools may provide approved leaves of absence (LOA) that do not require that the student return at the same point in the program in which they left if they return in the same semester or equivalent.
• Schools may exclude attendance when determining whether the student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP) without requiring an appeal
• The Secretary may waive statutory or regulatory requirements (such as assessments, accountability, allocation of funds and reporting) if a waiver request is submitted to the Secretary. The waiver must include the following:
  • Identify federal programs affected by the waiver
  • Describe which federal statutory or regulatory requirements are to be waived
  • Describe how COVID-19 prevents or restricts schools from complying with these statutory or regulatory requirements
• All waivers will be either approved or denied within 15 days of submission
• The following are reasons for a waiver denial:
  • The waiver does not meet the above three requirements
  • The waiver is not permitted
  • The waiver has insufficient information on why it is required
• If a waiver is approved, it is not to exceed one academic year
• All FDLP student loan payments are suspended for 3 months during which time, no interest shall accrue
  • Each of the three  months will count as if a payment was made for purposes of loan forgiveness however the loan balance will not change
  • The Secretary may extend this suspension for an additional 3 months