Required Public Reporting on Federal CARES Act

CARES Act Direct Student Aid Grant

Oberlin College has returned a signed Certification and Agreement to the U.S. Department of Education.
Oberlin College has been awarded $728,674 from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students.
- As of June 1, 2020, Oberlin College has not distributed any of the HEERF funds to students.
- As of June 30, 2020, Oberlin College distributed HEERF funds to 353* students.
- As of August 31, 2020, Oberlin College distributed HEERF funds to 420* students.
- As of September 30, 2020, Oberlin College distributed HEERF funds to 473* students.
- As of December 31, 2020 Oberlin College distributed HEERF funds to 504* students.
- As of March 31, 2021 Oberlin College distributed HEERF I funds to 522 students.
*Updated on March 22, 2021 to reflect unduplicated headcount.
The estimated total number of students at the institution eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under the CARES Act is 2364.
- As of June 1, 2020, no students have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under the CARES Act.
- As of June 30, 2020, Oberlin has granted $472,850.98 to students under the CARES Act.
- As of August 31, 2020, Oberlin has granted $560,078.04 to students under the CARES Act.
- As of September 30, 2020, Oberlin has granted $618,024.10 to students under the CARES Act.
- As of December 31, 2020 Oberlin College has granted $672,117.46 to students under the CARES Act.
- As of March 31, 2021 Oberlin College has granted $728,674 to students under the CARES Act. The fund is fully expended.
In lieu of requiring students to submit the FAFSA to determine Title IV, and thus CARES Act, eligibility, Oberlin employed an expedited and streamlined internal process with an internal application that confirms FAFSA, and thus Title IV and CARES Act, eligibility.

Oberlin College has created an internal application for students to complete which will be reviewed by a committee of College administrators to ensure that the request meets the terms and conditions of the program. In line with the Department's Interim Final Rule, Oberlin's application aligns with the FAFSA to determine eligibility for funding under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Further, students must identify eligible expenses incurred as a result of the disruption of education as a result of COVID-19. If a student is not eligible for federal funding, the committee will determine if the student should receive other private emergency funding.
Oberlin College communicated the following to students and families on May 27, 2020:

Dear Students,

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress and signed into law on March 27, 2020 “to provide emergency assistance and health care response for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.” The CARES Act established the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to enable colleges and universities to provide emergency financial aid to students whose lives have been disrupted by the pandemic.

We have carefully reviewed the terms and conditions related to the use of these funds, and have developed a website that includes the application to apply for funding along with answers to common questions.

Oberlin has been granted $728,674 from the HEERF fund to distribute to our students for qualified expenses, including food, housing, course materials, coronavirus-related medical fees, child care, and other hardships incurred as a result of campus disruption due to COVID-19. Funding will be limited to $1,500 per student for applicants that are eligible to receive funds under the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process.

If you are eligible to receive federal funds through the FAFSA process, you are eligible to receive CARES Act funds. Even if you have not previously submitted a FAFSA to Oberlin, students may be eligible to receive funds through FAFSA.

If you are ineligible to receive federal funds through the FAFSA process but are struggling to pay basic expenses, please proceed with completing the application and your request will be considered through private funds available as a result of generous donors who have chosen to support our students.

Our goal is to distribute these funds as quickly as possible, but through a thoughtful process that ensures that the needs of our students who have been most severely impacted by COVID-19 are met.

Please note that the College has determined that we are not able to use CARES Act funds to support work-study payments to students who are unable to continue working. Students who were dependent on this income are encouraged to apply for financial assistance, to be distributed from CARES Act funds if eligible, or support from our generous donors in cases of CARES ineligibility.

Please visit Oberlin’s CARES Act website for further information.

Rebecca Vazquez-Skillings
Vice President for Finance and Administration

Manuel Carballo
Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

Students will be notified of a decision within five business days of applying. There is no deadline for submission, and funding will be distributed until exhausted.

Visit Oberlin’s Direct Student Aid CARES Act Website