COVID-19

Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds
Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act
U.S. Department of Education Reporting Requirements
Cameron University, Lawton, OK 

Required Institutional Quarterly Report (3/31/2021)

Required Institutional Quarterly Report (12/31/2020)

Required Institutional Quarterly Report (9/30/2020)

Cameron University President John McArthur submitted the application and Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students (Grants) under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act on April 11, 2020. Approval and access to funding was granted on April 21, 2020. The method used by Cameron University to determine which students were eligible to receive Grants, the amounts to be awarded, and instructions on applying for Grants were outlined in email communications to students (see below) on May 1, 2020, May 11, 2020, September 4, 2020, and September 22, 2020.

Cameron University was approved to receive $3,498,279 under the CARES Act, of which $1,749,140, or 50%, will be used to provide Grants to students. Of the estimated 3,200 total students eligible to receive Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, Cameron University distributed:

• $695,500 to 1,236 students by May 19, 2020
• $1,175,525 to 2,149 students by June 25, 2020
• $1,265,225 to 2,319 students by August 5, 2020
• $1,751,848 to 2,394 students by September 23, 2020

Weekly disbursements were processed each Thursday to eligible students with approved applications.

All students received the following information about the CARES Act Grant:

May 1, 2020 –

Dear Cameron University Students:

For those of you completing classes today at the conclusion of the Spring 2020 semester, congratulations! None of us imagined the pandemic we continue to face. You have responded so well during difficult circumstances. Nicely done!

Cameron University applied for federal funds to support students from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund as part of the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security). We received access to $1,749,140 to distribute among eligible students. Qualified full-time students will receive $650 and qualified part-time students will receive $325 to offset unanticipated financial costs associated with the pandemic. Please continue to check your Cameron University email accounts for a message from Cameron Cashiers <Cashiers@cameron.edu> with instructions for you to request funds and to certify your eligibility before the end of May.

If you communicate with our federal elected officials including Senator Jim Inhofe, Senator James Lankford, and Congressman Tom Cole, please be sure to say “thank you” for their support of your education.

If you are not completing your Cameron educational journey tonight, I look forward to seeing you back in a Cameron class in the not too distant future. To our graduates, we are proud of your accomplishments and look forward to your participation in the CU Alumni Association.

Sincerely,

John McArthur

May 11, 2020 –

Dear Students,

In an email dated May 1, 2020, President McArthur announced that Cameron University has been provided federal funds to support students through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These funds are available to be disbursed as grants to eligible students who meet certain criteria. These grants, which do not have to be repaid, are intended to provide funds for students to cover unforeseen expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus, including but not limited to food, housing, healthcare, and course-related materials or services, such as technology.

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

1. US citizen or an eligible noncitizen and have a valid Social Security number
2. Registered with Selective Service, if required
3. Enrolled in at least one Cameron University course on March 13, 2020

Concurrently enrolled high school students, Cameron University employee tuition waiver program participants, and students with a declared major in a 100% online program and only enrolled in online classes are not eligible to receive grants under this program.

Grant amounts for students meeting this criteria are $650 for full-time status and $325 for part-time status based upon enrolled hours on March 13, 2020. Full-time status is at least 12 hours for undergraduate students and at least 9 credit hours for graduate students. Courses withdrawn from or completed prior to this date and audited courses will not be used in the calculation of status. For example, if you were enrolled in 12 credit hours for Spring and completed 3 credit hours in the first 8 weeks, you would be considered part-time on March 13.

To receive a grant you must submit an application certifying you meet all eligibility requirements. The application may be found by logging into AggieAccess and clicking on “CU CARES Application” under the “My Info” tab. Beginning May 14th, grants will be disbursed via our partner BankMobile on a weekly basis to eligible students who have completed the application. If you have not already done so, please select a disbursement preference by logging into your BankMobile account at www.refundselection.com.

If you have questions about the application or need assistance accessing your BankMobile account, please contact the One Stop at (580) 581-2393 or (580) 581-2219.

Sincerely,

Cameron University Cashiers

September 4, 2020 –

Dear Students,

Welcome back! We hope your semester is off to a great start.

The following email was sent in May to make you aware of funding available to students through the CARES Act. As of September 2, we have disbursed over $1.2 million to approximately 2,300 students. If you were enrolled in classes at Cameron University in March 2020, please take time to apply for these funds if you have not already done so. To apply for a grant, you only need to complete and submit the simple application found at https://aggieaccess.cameron.edu/web/home-community/my-info/cares-app.

The deadline to apply for funding is September 15. You do not need to submit an application if you have applied in the past.

Please let us know if you need assistance accessing the application or setting up your refund preference at BankMobile. We can be reached at (580) 581-2393, (580) 581-2219 or come by the One Stop in the MCC.

Sincerely,

Cameron University Cashiers

September 22, 2020 –

Dear Cameron Students,

Cameron University will distribute funds remaining from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that were unclaimed from the initial application period. The remaining funds will be proportionally disbursed to students who initially applied and qualified for the grant. Full-time status students as of March 13, 2020 will receive a supplemental grant of $222; whereas, other students will receive a supplemental grant of $111.

You do not need to do anything to receive this supplemental grant. Grants will be processed through BankMobile on Wednesday, September 23rd with distribution starting on Thursday, September 24th.

If you have questions about this supplemental grant, please contact the One Stop at (580) 581-2393 or (580) 581-2219.

Sincerely,

Cameron University Cashiers

Information originally posted at 4 p.m. on May 19, 2020
Information updated at 11 a.m. on June 29, 2020
Information updated at 2 p.m. on August 5, 2020
Information updated at 1 p.m. on September 30, 2020.