The Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, must cover necessary expenditures incurred due to COVID-19. This fund is intended to assist the higher education enterprise in dealing with challenges that have been created by the pandemic. Two primary focus areas are eligible for funding: efforts associated with preventing the spread of COVID-19 (e.g., expenses associated with social distancing) and technological improvements to facilitate distance learning.
This is a one-time emergency funding opportunity, so no history of funding is available.
Social Distance Expenses: As precautions for public health, IHEs are expected to make physical changes, limit enrollment in on-ground classes, and install or upgrade technology. IHEs may adapt classroom configurations to ensure classes are taught in a socially distanced manner. Similarly, residential IHEs may incur costs to provide student housing that complies with COVID-19 health precautions. IHEs may usetheir CRF allocation for classroom and/or residential modifications, as both qualify as public safety measures undertaken in response to COVID-19. Funds may be used to offset physical plant costs and to subsidize non-executive payroll expenses for faculty and staff whose services are substantially dedicated to mitigating the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Online Transition: IHEs are leveraging technology to manage social distancing recommendations while also preparing to suspend physical operations if needed to further COVID-19 outbreaks. Two common options include online course delivery to manage overflow from capped courses and shifting educational activities to an online format in late November to limit student holiday travel. Both options necessitate additional technical and personnel expenses. IHEs may use the CRF to expand and support online instruction, increase students' access to technology (e.g., supplying laptop computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and digital subscriptions), and subsidize payroll expenses for new personnel or extended duties of existing non-executive personnel.
All regionally accredited public and private, nonprofit institutions of higher education (IHEs) domiciled in Tennessee.
A Notice of Intent had to be submitted by July 17, 2020. Eligible applicants received an approximate dollar amount as well as information about the full applications, which they then submit by July 31, 2020. IHEs have until November 15, 2020 to expend all funds.
The amount for which each institution is eligible is dependent upon the number of institutions who successfully apply for CRF and will be determined using a formula weighting institutions' proportionate share of low-income students. For institutions who award Pell Grants, THEC will use the number of Pell Grant recipients at the institution to determine the institutions' proportionate share of low-income students. For institutions who do not award Pell Grants, THEC will use the verifiable number of students who have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) below the threshold that would make the student eligible for a Pell Grant as an undergraduate student.