Federal CRRSAA Grants

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) was signed into law on December 27, 2020 and provides COVID-19 relief funding for institutions and students. The CRRSAA includes emergency aid for distribution directly to students as well as funds to offset institutional costs incurred as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

On April 17, 2020 the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) signed and returned the Certification and Agreement for the Student Aid Portion of the CARES Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Because CIA completed the Certification & Agreement for CARES Act HEERF Student Aid Portion funding, the College was not required to submit a Certification and Agreement for CRRSAA Student Aid Portion funding.

On August 6, 2020 CIA signed and returned the Certification and Agreement for the Institutional portion of the CARES Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Because CIA completed the Certification & Agreement for CARES Act HEERF Institutional funding, the College was not required to submit a Certification and Agreement for CRRSAA Institutional funding.

CIA received $1,162,031 in Student and Institutional CRRSAA funding, of which at least $400,894 was required to be awarded directly to students as emergency financial aid grants. CIA also received an additional $49,204 in CRRSAA funding to help defray COVID-19 expenses.

Recognizing the financial burden that the pandemic has placed upon students and their families, CIA has distributed the $400,894 required, and an additional $105,006 above what is federally mandated, for a total of $505,900 in emergency financial aid grants to students.

Students may use their emergency financial aid grant for any component of their cost of attendance, such as tuition and fees, or for emergency costs that arise due to COVID-19, including but not limited to food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or child care.

Students were not required to submit an application to receive a federal CRRSAA grant. CIA considered all students who are U.S. citizens to be eligible. All 552 students who met the eligibility criteria received a grant. The grants range from $300 to $2,000. Grants were awarded based upon student need as determined by Federal Pell Grant eligibility. Those students with the greatest Federal Pell Grant eligibility were awarded the largest grants. These are emergency aid funds and do not have to be repaid.

A total of $505,900 was disbursed directly to 552 students via their student accounts beginning March 31, 2021. The grants were not applied to or used to offset any charges, tuition, fees or other balances on students’ accounts. For students enrolled in direct deposit, the funds were accessible approximately three days from the date of disbursement. For those not enrolled in direct deposit, a paper check was issued and mailed to the permanent address on record. This communication was sent to students who received these direct payments.

Students should contact the Financial Aid office at financialaid@cia.edu if they have any questions regarding their eligibility for a grant.

View our quarterly reports to see details about how other CRRSAA funds not distributed to students were used.

• April 2021 report 
• July 2021 report 
• October 2021 report

View CIA's Federal CARES Act Grants page here.