As required by the U.S. Department of Education, Westminster Theological Seminary is reporting the following details regarding the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students in compliance with the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

• Westminster acknowledges it signed and returned to the Department of Education the Certification and Agreement on May 18, 2020, and gives the assurance that Westminster has used or intends to use at least 50 percent of the funds received under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
• The total amount of funds that Westminster has received from the Department pursuant to the institution’s Certification and Agreement [for] Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students is $143,364.
• The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of September 30, 2021 is $42,131.
• The estimated total number of students at Westminster 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 Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 200 as of September 30, 2021.
• The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 8 as of July 10, 2022. A total of one (1) student declined a grant, and 173 did not respond to the application, as of July 10, 2022.
• The following is the methodology used by Westminster to determine which students would receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants and how much they would receive under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act:

1. Awards were given to students eligible for Title IV aid under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
2. Awards were based on eligible expenses and loss of income (1) Eligible expenses were expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses. (2) Where expenses incurred were due to loss of job or reduction in work hours, lost or reduced income was calculated into the Summer of 2022 and award based on that calculation.
3. Students were required to do the following in application for the Emergency Financial Aid Grants: (1) Itemize expenses for which they requested Emergency Financial Aid Grants. (2) Indicate how they would use the Emergency Financial Aid Grants, if awarded. (3) Have a current FAFSA on file.

• The following instructions, directions or guidance were provided by Westminster to students concerning the Emergency Financial Aid Grants:

1. The seminary sent qualified students two (2) email messages to their Westminster email account, notifying students to complete the application confirming impact by the deadline of September 30, 2021.
2. Westminster students who were determined not to be eligible for Emergency Financial Aid Grants still may request emergency funding through the seminary’s Needy Student Fund. The application for the Needy Student Fund may be accessed by emailing studentdevelopment@wts.edu.

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