Continued Confusion Over CARES Act Money – Inside Higher Ed
Education Department caused confusion twice in recent days by saying it won’t enforce guidance on who can receive the CARES Act’s emergency grants.
In a statement on its website and a court filing over the Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Department of Education said it does not intend to enforce guidelines it has issued that say only those eligible for regular student aid can get emergency student grants created by the CARES Act.
However, financial aid administrators and associations representing colleges say that still leaves as clear as mud the question of whether colleges can give the grants to undocumented students without fear of being later penalized by the department.
“I don’t think it significantly increased the clarity that institutions were seeking,” said Terry Hartle, the American Council on Education’s senior vice president for government and public affairs.
At the same time, Hartle was befuddled by another department move as it distributes money for education in the CARES Act. The department on Friday removed from its website an explanation of how it is distributing other CARES Act funds that were supposed to go to colleges that are in particular distress because of the pandemic. But instead, the money initially was earmarked for small institutions like seminaries and postsecondary schools for meditation, acupuncture and dog training.