Consumer Information Disclosures | Allegany College of Maryland

Allegany College of Maryland shares the following consumer information with you relating to our educational processes and services in accordance with the Federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 1965.

This consumer information webpage is updated periodically. If you have any questions or would like a paper copy of any of this information, please contact Ms. Vicki A. Smith, Director of Student Financial Aid Programs at vsmith@allegany.edu.

General information about the college, including tuition, fees, and miscellaneous costs, financial aid, refund policies, withdrawal policies, federal law regarding the return of certain grants and loans, and information about the college’s academic programs may be found in the official ACM College Catalog.

General Institutional Info

FERPA

Student Financial Aid Info

Computer Policies and Procedures

General Institutional Information

Accreditation, Approval, and Licensure of ACM and its Programs – A comprehensive list of the associations, agencies, and governmental bodies with which ACM holds an accreditation and/or approval, along with the corresponding contact and complaint filing information, can be found in ACM's Digital Catalog or National Center for Education Statistics
- To review any of these documents please contact Ms. Vicki A. Smith at vsmith@allegany.edu
Academic Programs – A description of all the programs of study offered at ACM
Student Diversity - ACM makes available to you information pertaining to our student body diversity, which includes the percentage of enrolled, full-time students in the following categories:

Male
Female
Self-identified members of a major racial or ethnic group
Federal Pell Grant recipients

Student Handbook – Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct
Student Complaints and Grievances - ACM provides students and parents with information on how to file various appeals
- General ACM or Educational Complaints
- Academic Appeals
- Academic Forgiveness
- Academic Grievance Procedure
- Equity, Compliance, and Diversity Policy (Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation)
  - Grievance Form
Student Activities
Disability Resources - Facilities and Services for Student with Disabilities (Americans with Disabilities Act ADA)
Class Schedules
Career and Job Placement Services - For information regarding placement in employment, please refer to the specific program in our College Catalog.
Cost of Attendance - This is the average total amount of money it will cost to attend ACM for one academic year, made up of direct costs - billable charges such as tuition and fees - and indirect costs- non-billable expenses such as books and supplies; room and board; transportation; and miscellaneous personal expenses.

Net Price Calculator
Dropping A Class vs. Withdrawing from All Classes – Dropping a class or classes is different than officially withdrawing from the College. Both require additional paperwork through our Registration Office.
Refund Policy for Withdrawal
Return of Title IV Funds – Calculation performed when a federal financial aid recipient officially or unofficially withdraws from Allegany College of Maryland. An unofficial withdrawal happens when a student stops attending all classes without completing the official withdrawal paperwork.
Academic Calendar
Textbook Information – View our online Textbook Lookup site, which includes the prices and the ISBN information
Institutional Facilities – Information regarding instructional, laboratory, and physical plant facilities associated with ACM’s academic programs.
Faculty
Transfer of Credit Policy – ACM has established criteria which students must meet in order to successfully transfer credits to us which have been earned at another institution.
Approved Articulation Agreements - Agreements between ACM and other institutions for the pre-approved transferability of credits between the institutions.
Written Arrangements – The ACM Student Financial Aid Office will serve only at the Host Institution for Consortium Agreements.
Copyright Infringement Policy – ACM’s policy and sanctions related to copyright infringement, the civil and criminal penalties for individuals involved in such actions and disciplinary action that will be taken against students engaged in unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials through ACM’s information technology system
Education Instruction and Leadership Department Page – plans for improving academic programs
Study Abroad – ACM does not currently have any study abroad programs
GED Options
Constitution Day – ACM commemorates Constitution Day every September 17 by holding various educational programs, unless it is on a day when school is not in session, in which case it will be celebrated the preceding week.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act/Privacy of Student Records – FERPA was implemented in 1974 as a federal law to protect the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives students the right to review their education records, seek to amend inaccurate information in their records, provide consent for the disclosure of their records and file a complaint with the Family Policy Compliance Office concerning potential violations. This law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. ACM’s policy regarding FERPA can be accessed at:

Notification of Rights under FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution at any age.) These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days after the day Allegany College of Maryland receives a request for access. A student should submit to the Director of Admissions, Advising, and Registration a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The school official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the school official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

A student who wishes to ask Allegany College of Maryland to amend a record should write to the Director of Admissions, Advising, and Registration, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.

If Allegany College of Maryland decides not to amend the record as requested, Allegany College of Maryland will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to provide written consent before Allegany College of Maryland discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

Allegany College of Maryland discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official typically includes a person employed by Allegany College of Maryland in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A school official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of Allegany College of Maryland who performs an institutional service or function for which the school would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the school with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent or a student volunteering to assist another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official typically has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for Allegany College of Maryland.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Allegany College of Maryland to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

[NOTE: In addition, a school may want to include its directory information public notice, as required by § 99.37 of the regulations, with its annual notification of rights under FERPA.]

Below is a list of the disclosures that Allegany College of Maryland may make without consent.

FERPA permits the disclosure of PII from students’ education records, without consent of the student, if the disclosure meets certain conditions found in § 99.31 of the FERPA regulations. Except for disclosures to school officials, disclosures related to some judicial orders or lawfully issued subpoenas, disclosures of directory information, and disclosures to the student, § 99.32 of FERPA regulations requires the institution to record the disclosure. Eligible students have a right to inspect and review the record of disclosures. A postsecondary institution may disclose PII from the education records without obtaining prior written consent of the student -

To other school officials, including teachers, within ACM whom the school has determined to have legitimate educational interests. This includes contractors, consultants, volunteers, or other parties to whom the school has outsourced institutional services or functions, provided that the conditions listed in § 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) - (a)(1)(i)(B)(3) are met. (§ 99.31(a)(1))
To officials of another school where the student seeks or intends to enroll, or where the student is already enrolled if the disclosure is for purposes related to the student’s enrollment or transfer, subject to the requirements of § 99.34. (§ 99.31(a)(2))
To authorized representatives of the U. S. Comptroller General, the U.S. Attorney General, the U.S. Secretary of Education, or State and local educational authorities, such activity on their behalf. (§§ 99.31(a)(3) and 99.35)
In connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received, if the information is necessary to determine eligibility for the aid, determine the amount of the aid, determine the conditions of the aid, or enforce the terms and conditions of the aid. (§ 99.31(a)(4))
To organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the school, in order to: (a) develop, validate, or administer predictive tests; (b) administer student aid programs; or (c) improve instruction. (§ 99.31(a)(6))
To accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions. (§ 99.31(a)(7))
To parents of an eligible student if the student is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. (§ 99.31(a)(8))
To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. (§ 99.31(a)(9))
To appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency, subject to § 99.36. (§ 99.31(a)(10))
Information the school has designated as “directory information” under § 99.37. (§ 99.31(a)(11))
To a victim of an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense, subject to the requirements of § 99.39. The disclosure may only include the final results of the disciplinary proceeding with respect to that alleged crime or offense, regardless of the finding. (§ 99.31(a)(13))
To the general public, the final results of a disciplinary proceeding, subject to the requirements of § 99.39, if the school determines the student is an alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence or non-forcible sex offense and the student has committed a violation of the school’s rules or policies with respect to the allegation made against him or her. (§ 99.31(a)(14))
To parents of a student regarding the student’s violation of any Federal, State, or local law, or of any rule or policy of the school, governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance if the school determines the student committed a disciplinary violation and the student is under the age of 21. (§99.31(a)(15))
Student Handbook
ACM FERPA Point of Contact: Jennifer Engelbach

Student Financial Aid Information

Contact Information for Assistance in Obtaining Financial Aid information
Financial Aid Available at ACM from Federal, State, Local, Private, and Institutional Programs
Application Process - Procedures and Forms Required
Eligibility Criteria, Determining Award Amounts, and Fund Disbursement Information - ACM provides information on how to qualify for federal, state, and institutional financial aid, as well as how awards are determined and when money will be paid
The College Financing Plan (Formerly the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet)
Rights and Responsibilities of Students Receiving Financial Aid
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) - Policy for Maintaining Federal Financial Aid
Process for Pell-eligible Students to Get Textbooks and Supplies
Financial Aid Non-Discrimination Statement
Federal Work-Study Terms and Conditions
Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations – ACM must provide each student information on the penalties associated with drug-related offenses
Student Loan Information
- General Student Loan Information
- Terms of Federal Loans
- Sample Repayment Schedule - Sample repayment schedule showing total amount that will be paid back, including interest, over a 10 year loan term.
- Initial/Entrance Loan Counseling for Student Borrowers - All first time borrowers at Allegany College of Maryland are required to complete the Federal Entrance Counseling session before any loan funds will be disbursed.
- Exit Counseling for Student Borrowers - All students exiting Allegany College of Maryland or dropping below 6 credit hours will complete the federally required Exit Counseling Session
- Institutional Code of Conduct for Education Loans
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) - Click on Financial Aid Review – ACM will submit Federal Direct Loan information to NSLDS, where the information will be assessable to guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the system.
Private Loan Information
Preferred Lender Lists
- Allegany College of Maryland does not use a preferred lender list
Preferred Lender Arrangements
- Allegany College of Maryland does not participate in preferred lender arrangements

Computer Policies and Procedures

Policy on Copyrighted Materials and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
Computer Use – Policies regarding Computer Use at ACM:

Health and Safety

Annual Security Report – The Annual Security Report is published and distributed to current employees and students by October 1 of each year. The report includes statistical date on the incidence of crime over the past three years and measures taken to ensure safety and security of ACM’s facilities, employees, students, and visitors
Annual Fire Safety Report
Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention Program - ACM will make a good faith effort to maintain a drug-free workplace and campus, focusing primarily on prevention through education, early intervention, and providing referral services to employees and students with substance abuse problems. Students will receive an annual notice of the Drug and Alcohol policy which includes the penalties for violating the policy
Vaccination Policies – Students living in Willowbrook Woods must provide documentation of receipt of the Meningococcal Vaccine. Students in certain Health Programs may need to have certain vaccines, as well. Please check the specific program information in the ACM College Catalog.
Title IX, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and Campus Sexual Violence
Campus Safety and Special Police
- Missing Student Notification
- Emergency Response and Evacuation Procedures

Student Outcomes

Placement of, and types of employment obtained by, graduates of ACM - Please check the specific program information in the ACM College Catalog.
College Navigator Website - The Department of Education is required to post data about ACM on this website annually.
Graduation, Transfer-Out Rates, and Retention Rates (Student Right to Know Act) – Graduation rate of first-time, full time students who completed their program of study within 150% of the normal projected timeframe, transfer-out rates, and retention rates as reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
Intercollegiate Athletic Program Participation Rates and Financial Support Data (Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act - EADA) – Information regarding participation rates, completion/graduation rates, transfer-out rates, financial support, and other data related to ACM’s student athletic program.
Voter Registration - Students are encouraged to vote in all elections. Paper forms are available in our Admissions and Registration Office or online at: https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote for federal elections and at: https://elections.maryland.gov/ for Maryland State elections.

CARES Act Funding - Grants to Institution

CARES Act Funding - Grants to Student

Background

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which includes the Education Stabilization Fund, as part of his March 13, 2020 declaration of a national pandemic. Part of this fund, $13.95 billion, will be given to colleges and universities to award to its students. The allotment given each college is based on the full-time equivalent enrollment of Pell Grant recipients (75% of calculated award) and the full time equivalent of our non-Pell eligible population (25% of calculated award). Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) has been granted a total of $1,494,165; of which, 50% is earmarked specifically as Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students - $747,083. ACM fully intends to disburse to students at least this 50% amount.

The Department of Education (ED) has provided the following statement as the basis for awards: “At least 50 percent must be reserved to provide students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care).” Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) is charged with distributing these emergency cash grants to our college students whose “lives and education were disrupted” by the coronavirus as quickly as possible. ED released additional guidance for awarding these emergency grants, stating that only students who are or could be eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 of the Title IV Higher Education Act of 1965 can receive these funds. ACM will make awards to students under the award name “COVID.”

ACM signed and returned to the Department of Education the required Certification and Agreement document on April 14, 2020, which is the initial step to receiving these funds.

Criteria to Determine Awards to Student

ACM students took their scheduled spring break March 9 through 13, during which time the decision was made to extend that break until March 20. Beginning March 23, 2020, all ACM classes moved to 100% on-line learning and remained in that vein for the remainder of the spring semester. Every ACM student who was not already 100% on-line was immediately faced with hardships because of the disruption of ACM campus services – increased technology issues, additional course materials due to moving
on-line, increased household utility expenses, increased food expenses, and changes in childcare and health needs. Based on this and ED’s statement to award these emergency grants to Title IV eligible applicants, ACM elects to consider all recipients for this funding who meet the following criteria:

1. Student completed the FAFSA for 2019-2020 as of May 1, 2020.

2. Student has been awarded any type of Title IV funds (and having been awarded, meets all the remaining Title IV eligibility criteria), even if the student declined to accept the award.

3. Student is enrolled for at least one credit hour as of March 13, 2020, removing credits that are currently marked as “audit” and removing credits that were dropped before March 13, 2020.

4. Student is not enrolled in 100% of credits on-line before March 13, 2020.

5. Student is not enrolled as “early college.”

6. Student is currently not in termination status for Title IV financial aid.

Amount of Award to Students

Awards to students will be categorized according to total credits for the spring 2020 semester, realizing that more credits require more utilities, more resources, more time away from children, etc. There will be three (3) credit tiers: Tier 1 - 1 to 5 credits; Tier 2 - 6 to 11 credits; and Tier 3 - 12 or more credits. Based on the current eligible applicant report for this award provided by the Office of Institutional Research, the average credit hours for Tier 1 is 3; the average credit hours for Tier 2 is 9; and the average credit hours for Tier 3 is 14.

ACM wishes to grant students this emergency award in relation to the number of weeks remaining in the semester that were moved to on-line, which is seven (7) weeks. Using the in-county tuition rate of $125 per credit hour divided by 15 weeks in the semester times 7 weeks on-line, we will award $58 to each credit tier.

The criteria to determine the award gives the following information:

1. There are 1,100 eligible students to award.

2. Tier 1 has 38 students.

3. Tier 2 has 399 students.

4. Tier 3 has 663 students.

TIER	CREDIT HOUR AVERAGE	AWARD PER CREDIT AVERAGE	ELIGIBLE STUDENTS	TOTAL AWARD PER TIER
1	3	$174	38	$6,612
2	9	$522	399	$208,278
3	14	$812	664	$539,168
TOTAL			1101	$754,058

Instructions and Communications to Students

All eligible students will first receive the letter shown below at their home address:

May 1, 2020

STUDENT NAME
STUDENT ADDRESS
STUDENT ADDRESS
STUDENT ADDRESS

Dear “Student Name”,

At Allegany College of Maryland, we are dedicated to providing the resources you need to be successful. To directly show our support during these challenging times, the College will be sending you an emergency assistance check. You must accept these funds through WebAdvisor by June 1, 2020 to receive your check.

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. We have been tasked by the U.S. Department of Education to award emergency funds to our students to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following the federal guidelines of the CARES Act, funds will be distributed to every student who was deemed eligible by the United States Department of Education. Eligibility includes students who were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) and who have at least one course credit that was not online at the start of the spring semester. You are receiving this emergency funding because you meet the above criteria and were enrolled in classes at ACM as of March 14, 2020.

How to accept your award:

Log in to WebAdvisor
Go to Financial Aid
Go to "My Awards"
Select Award Year 2019-20
Complete the Award Certification
Accept Your Award

In accepting your award, you certify that you have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of this award that are as a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19; and that your expenses were in one or more of these areas: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and/or child care.

We are working to get this relief money into your hands as quickly as possible. When your check is ready to be mailed, you will receive an email notification in your student email account.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@allegany.edu. I wish you the best and pray that you and your family are safe and well.

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President

Students are directed to their WebAdvisor account to officially certify that they meet the conditions to accept the award and then must officially accept it. Following is the statement of Conditions for Accepting this Award:

“By accepting this award, I certify that I have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of this award that are a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19; and I certify that my expenses were in one or more of these areas: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and/or child care.”

Eligible students who do not accept their award by June 1 will then receive an email to their ACM Student Email account as a reminder to accept the award:

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. We have been tasked by the U.S. Department of Education to award emergency funds to our students to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following the federal guidelines of the CARES Act, funds will be distributed to every student who was deemed eligible by the United States Department of Education. Eligibility includes students who were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) and who have at least one course credit that was not online at the start of the spring semester. You are receiving this emergency funding because you meet the above criteria and were enrolled in classes at ACM as of March 14, 2020. You must accept these funds through WebAdvisor immediately to receive your check.

How to accept your award:

Log in to WebADvisor
Go to Financial Aid
Go to "My Awards"
Select Award Year 2019-20
Complete the Award Certification
Accept Your Award

Upon receipt of the signed acceptance of the award, payments will be paid to students and the emergency grant award will be mailed in the form of an ACM check to the student’s home address. The student will also receive an email confirmation on the day the check is mailed. Below is the email notice of the mailed check:

Dear FIRST.NAME,

A financial aid payment from the CARES ACT has been made to you and a check has been
mailed to your home address.

Student Financial Aid Office
Allegany College of Maryland
12401 Willowbrook Road, SE
Cumberland, MD 21502-2596

Administrative Process to Distribute Funds to Students

ACM will use their FAMS (Ellucian’s Colleague) to award and disburse the CARES Act grants. The Director of Accounting will set up a special Accounts Receivable code called “CV” which will allow the award to be disbursed in full without passing through the outstanding balances form. The Director of Student Financial Aid will create a special award code called “COVID.” The Office of Institutional Research will provide a spreadsheet of eligible students, including their ACM Student ID and eligible credit hours to the Director of Student Financial Aid. The Director of Student Financial Aid will calculate the correct award for each student and add the award to the AIDE form for each eligible applicant with a status of “Pending.” Once the student officially accepts the award, the status will turn to “Accepted” and paid through the normal Financial Aid Transmittal procedure on a weekly basis.

Conclusion

It is the goal of Allegany College of Maryland to as quickly as possible get these emergency grant funds into the hands of our students. We realize not all students will be able to certify that they meet the conditions to accept this award; and therefore, we will use those remaining funds to assist students during the summer 2020 semester who have expenses related to the disruption of ACM campus operations. As of the first revised date of this document, a total of 901 students have received their CARES Act funds, totaling $682,982.00.

Update 5.26.20

Students who had not yet accepted their award on May 26, 2020 were sent the reminder email below through the Communications Management system of Colleague. The email document name is FAECORE (Financial Aid Email COVID Award Reminder). 140 students received this email. The Director of Student Financial Aid sent the email and maintains the list of students who received it. A confirmation was received that all 140 emails were sent successfully.

Dear @LR.FIRST.NAME ,

You should have received a letter at your home address around May 1, 2020 stating you were awarded a federal grant from President Trump's CARES Act law. This letter stated you have until June 1, 2020 to officially confirm COVID-19 expenses and accept the award. This email is a reminder to accept your award before June 1.

You are receiving this award because you were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) for the spring 2020 semester and had at least one course credit that was not online at the start of the spring term.

How to Accept your Award:

Log in to WebAdvisor
Go to Financial Aid
Go to "My Awards"
Select Award Year 2019-20
Complete the Award Certification
Accept Your Award

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President
Allegany College of Maryland

As of May 26, 2020, one student declined to receive the award, stating no additional expenses. The award was cancelled.

Update 6.19.20

As if 6.19.20, 1,020 students have accepted the award and have been paid, totaling $700,292. A total of 2 students have now declined the award and they have been deleted. Senior Administration agreed to make one final attempt to contact students who still had not accepted their award. Calls were made to 93 individual students on 6.10.20 giving each student instructions on how to accept the award and a final deadline date for acceptance of 6.15.20. Here is the script for those phone calls.

Phone call to students identified by Arthur/Vicki who did not accept/decline CARES ACT Funding.

General:

Hello, I’m XXXXXXX from Allegany College of Maryland. I’m calling to see if XXXXXX would be available.
Hello XXXXX. I am calling as a follow up to a letter and emails that were sent to you from Allegany College of Maryland regarding CARES ACT funding that you are eligible to receive.
It is a simple process to accept these funds through WebAdvisor and we request that you do this by June 15, 2020. You must follow the following steps:
- Log in to WebAdvisor
- Go to Financial Aid
- Go to “My Awards”
- Select Award Year 2019-20
- Complete the Award Certification
- Accept Your Award
If you can’t log into Web Advisor, please feel free to call the ACM helpdesk and they would be glad to provide your credentials:
(301) 784-5444
While you are on the phone, I noticed that you have not registered for fall. We value our students and care about you and your future. Can I help guide you to the Advising Center to assist you with this process? We would love to see you back at ACM this fall.
Key numbers in case students have questions:
a.     Financial Aid: studentfinancialaid@allegany.edu
b.     Business Office: businessoffice@allegany.edu
c.     Housing: willowbrookwoods@allegany.edu
d.     Advising Center: jengelbach@allegany.edu

General Info:

What is the CARES Act?

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act includes $2 trillion emergency economic relief package that seeks to stem the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The CARES Act includes help for students and colleges and universities.

Why did I get a letter about CARES Act Funding?

You are among the eligible ACM students to receive an emergency assistance check.

Following the federal guidelines of the CARES Act, funds will be distributed to every student who was deemed eligible by the United States Department of Education. Eligibility includes students who were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) and who have at least one course credit that was not online at the start of the spring semester. Students who meet the eligibility requirements will receive this emergency funding because they meet the above criteria and were enrolled in classes at ACM as of March 14, 2020.

What do I need to do next?

Eligible students must accept these funds through WebAdvisor by June 15, 2020 to receive your check. To accept the CARES Act Funding, students must follow the following steps:

Log in to WebAdvisor
Go to Financial Aid
Go to “My Awards”
Select Award Year 2019-20
Complete the Award Certification
Accept Your Award

On 6.16.20, 81 students still had not accepted the 1st round awards and those awards, totaling $52,432, were deleted, in accordance with direction from Senior Administration. The list of student IDs for this deletion is saved in Colleague until name COVID.DELETE.061920. For our final first round of recipients, we have 1,020 students paid an emergency CARES Act grant totaling $700,292.

In order to spend 100% of the CARES Act emergency grant fund to students, ACM must spend an additional $46,791.00.

Senior Administration agreed on the 2^ND round of recipients to award and Vicki Smith, Director of Student Financial Aid, requested the report:

Student completed the FAFSA for 2019-2020 as of May 1, 2020.
Student has not been awarded any type of Title IV funds because the student did not complete the verification/file complete process.
Student has a calculated EFC on the FAFSA result with NO Reject Codes and NO SAR C Flags.
Student is enrolled for at least one credit hour as of March 13, 2020, removing credits that are currently marked as “audit” and removing credits that were dropped before March 13, 2020.
Student is not enrolled in 100% of credits on-line before March 13, 2020.
Student is not enrolled as “early college.”
Student is currently not in termination status for Title VI financial aid.

Update 7.9.20

On 7.9.20, 46 students were awarded in the 2^nd round of CARES Act Emergency Grants to students, totaling $27144.

TIER	CREDIT HOUR AVERAGE	AWARD PER CREDIT AVERAGE	ELIGIBLE STUDENTS	TOTAL AWARD PER TIER
1	3	$174	6	$1,044
2	9	$522	22	$11,484
3	14	$812	18	$14,616
TOTAL			46	$27,144

The Director of Student Financial Aid Programs created SAVEDLISTS in Colleague to award each group and to send each student a letter of award. Letters were mailed on 7.9.20. Because the students in the 2nd round did not have complete folders, the certification and acceptance procedures required modification. The letter mailed to each student indicated the award amount, contained the Award Certification Statement, and gave directions to email Vicki Smith directly to confirm the incurred expenses due to COVID-19 and to accept the award. The deadline date to accept the award is 7.20.20.

Sample letters for each tier are below.

July 9, 2020

Dear <<FirstName>>,

At Allegany College of Maryland, we are dedicated to providing the resources you need to be successful. To directly show our support during these challenging times, the College will be sending you an emergency assistance check. You must accept this award of $174 by JULY 20, 2020 to receive your check.

How to Accept your Award:

Read the below “Award Certification Statement”
If you agree with the statement, send an email to vsmith@allegany.edu
In the body of the email, simply state “I AGREE” and add your name and ACM Student ID
Send the email

AWARD CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

“In accepting this award, I certify that I have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of $174 that are as a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19; and that my expenses were in one or more of these areas: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and/or child care.”

We are working to get this relief money into your hands as quickly as possible. When your check is ready to be mailed, it will be mailed to your home address and you will receive an email notification in your student email account. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at vsmith@allegany.edu . I wish you the best and pray that you and your family are safe and well.

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President
Allegany College of Maryland

July 9, 2020

Dear <<FirstName>>,

How to Accept your Award:

Read the below “Award Certification Statement”
If you agree with the statement, send an email to vsmith@allegany.edu
In the body of the email, simply state “I AGREE” and add your name and ACM Student ID
Send the email

AWARD CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

“In accepting this award, I certify that I have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of $522 that are as a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19; and that my expenses were in one or more of these areas: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and/or child care.”

July 9, 2020

Dear <<FirstName>>,

How to Accept your Award:

Read the below “Award Certification Statement”
If you agree with the statement, send an email to vsmith@allegany.edu
In the body of the email, simply state “I AGREE” and add your name and ACM Student ID
Send the email

AWARD CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

“In accepting this award, I certify that I have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of $812 that are as a direct result of the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19; and that my expenses were in one or more of these areas: food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and/or child care.”

We are working to get this relief money into your hands as quickly as possible. When your check is ready to be mailed, it will be mailed to your home address and you will receive an email notification in your student email account. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at vsmith@allegany.edu. I wish you the best and pray that you and your family are safe and well.

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President
Allegany College of Maryland

Update 8.26.20

As of 7.22.20, 40 of the 46 students from the Spring 2020 had accepted their award and were paid a total of $23432. There were 6 students that did not respond; and therefore, their awards were deleted.

Allegany College of Maryland was required to spend $747,083 in CARES Act Emergency Awards to students. To date, we spent $723,724. Senior Administration made the decision to award the 3rd round of money to our Summer 2020 enrollees who meant the following criteria:

Registered for the summer term
Include total credits enrolled, not including courses that were audited or dropped as of 7.20.20
No early college students will be awarded
Financial Aid file must be verified and awarded and student cannot be in a termination status
Student must be in an eligible TIV program of study
Eliminated any student who received an award during the Spring 2020 term

The Office of Institutional Research produced a list for the summer of 364 students. 195 received an award during the spring term and were deleted. Award letters were sent to 169 students enrolled for the summer term based on the following tiered schedule of using average credits paid at $35 per credit hour:

TIER	CREDIT HOUR AVERAGE	AWARD PER CREDIT AVERAGE	ELIGIBLE STUDENTS	TOTAL AWARD PER TIER
1	3	$105	78	$8,190
2	9	$210	80	$16,800
3	12	$420	11	$4,620
TOTAL			169	$29,610

The Director of Student Financial Aid Programs created SAVEDLISTS in Colleague to award each group and to send each student a letter of award. Letters were mailed on 7.29.20. The letter mailed to each student indicated the award amount, contained the Award Certification Statement, and gave directions to email Vicki Smith directly to confirm the incurred expenses due to COVID-19 and to accept the award. Vicki Smith will maintain copies of each student’s certification statement in the COVID file. The deadline date to accept the award is 8.15.20. Students who had not accepted their award by August 3 were sent an email reminder to accept the award immediately.

Sample letters for each tier are below.

July 29, 2020

Dear <<FirstName>>,

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. We have been tasked by the U.S. Department of Education to award emergency funds to our students to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following the federal guidelines of the CARES Act, funds will be distributed to every student who was deemed eligible by the United States Department of Education. Eligibility includes students who were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) for the summer 2020 term and who were enrolled for at least one credit. You are receiving this emergency funding because you meet the above criteria and were enrolled in classes at ACM as of July 9, 2020.

How to Accept your Award:

Read the below “Award Certification Statement”
If you agree with the statement, send an email to vsmith@allegany.edu
In the body of the email, simply state “I AGREE” and add your name and ACM Student ID
Send the email

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President
Allegany College of Maryland

July 29, 2020

Dear <<FirstName>>,

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. We have been tasked by the U.S. Department of Education to award emergency funds to our students to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following the federal guidelines of the CARES Act, funds will be distributed to every student who was deemed eligible by the United States Department of Education. Eligibility includes students who were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) for the summer 2020 term and who were enrolled for at least one credit. You are receiving this emergency funding because you meet the above criteria and were enrolled in classes at ACM as of July 9, 2020.

How to Accept your Award:

Read the below “Award Certification Statement”
If you agree with the statement, send an email to vsmith@allegany.edu
In the body of the email, simply state “I AGREE” and add your name and ACM Student ID
Send the email

AWARD CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

July 29, 2020

Dear <<FirstName>>,

President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) into law on March 27, 2020. We have been tasked by the U.S. Department of Education to award emergency funds to our students to help with expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following the federal guidelines of the CARES Act, funds will be distributed to every student who was deemed eligible by the United States Department of Education. Eligibility includes students who were awarded Title IV funds (federally funded financial aid) for the summer 2020 term and who were enrolled for at least one credit. You are receiving this emergency funding because you meet the above criteria and were enrolled in classes at ACM as of July 9, 2020.

How to Accept your Award:

Read the below “Award Certification Statement”
If you agree with the statement, send an email to vsmith@allegany.edu
In the body of the email, simply state “I AGREE” and add your name and ACM Student ID
Send the email

AWARD CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

We are working to get this relief money into your hands as quickly as possible. When your check is ready to be mailed, it will be mailed to your home address and you will receive an email notification in your student email account. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at vsmith@allegany.edu. I wish you the best and pray that you and your family are safe and well.

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President
Allegany College of Maryland

As of 8.20.20, 20 of the 169 students had not accepted the award; and therefore, the awards for these 20 students were deleted. 15 students accepted the award on WebAdvisor, but did not complete the Certification Statement. Emails were sent directly to these 15 students on 8.20.20, giving them until 8.24.20 to complete the Certification Statement. On 8.25.20, 2 additional student awards were deleted due to non-certification. The 3rd round final numbers are 147 students paid a total of $26460.

Report Complete - 8.26.20

As part of President Trump’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which includes the Education Stabilization Fund, Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) needed to spend $747,083 in emergency grant awards to students. $723724 was disbursed to students during the Spring 2020 term and $26460 was disbursed to students during the Summer 2020 term, for a total of $750184. ACM spent more than the 50% share of the award by $3101. Therefore, Senior Administration will be transferring $3101 from the CARES Act Institutional share to the CARES Act Student Emergency fund. Awarding and disbursing is now complete.

This serves as the final report/notice for the emergency CARES Act awards for students.

HEERF Act Funding

Background

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 and was signed into law by Former President Donald J. Trump on December 27, 2020. CRRSAA authorized $81.88 billion to support education, of which $21.2 billion is available to higher education institutions to ensure learning continues for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The allocations to institutions of higher education (IHE) are calculated based on three formula factors:

1. 75% of the funds will be awarded to IHEs based on each IHE’s relative share of enrollment of Federal Pell Grant recipients who were not enrolled exclusively in distance education courses prior to the coronavirus emergency, split evenly between total (i.e., headcount) enrollment and full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment;

2. 23% of the funds will be awarded to IHEs based on each IHE’s relative share of enrollment of students who were not Federal Pell Grant recipients and who were not enrolled exclusively in distance education courses prior to the coronavirus emergency, split evenly between total enrollment and FTE enrollment; and

3. 2% of the funds will be awarded to IHEs based on each IHE’s relative share of enrollment of Federal Pell Grant recipients who were enrolled exclusively in distance education courses prior to the coronavirus emergency, split evenly between total enrollment and FTE enrollment.

As such, Allegany College of Maryland (ACM) was awarded $747,083 to be used as emergency grants awards to students. Respectively called CRRSAA or HEERF II, these funds are to be prioritized to students “demonstrating exceptional financial need, such as those who receive Pell Grants.” For this round of HEERF monies, students DO NOT have to self-certify they had any additional expenses related to COVID or to the disruption of educational services at ACM.

ACM has signed and returned to the Department of Education the required documents for this award and has developed an awarding policy, as described below.

Criteria to Determine Awards to Student

For the spring 2021 semester, all students have been affected/impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At ACM, the spring schedule of classes was modified to an alternating schedule, where the class is divided into two groups. Group 1 will learn in an ACM classroom for one class period, while Group 2 watches the course livestreamed. The next time the class meets, the rotation is flipped. As a result of this, all students were required to have access to internet connection, as well as find a laptop or other device capable of livestreaming platforms.

As a result of this schedule set up, ACM elects to consider all students for a HEERF II award. Since the Department of Education states that we are to give priority to students demonstrating exceptional need, ACM will first award all its Federal Pell Grant eligible students. Should there be HEERF II funds remaining, ACM will then award students who completed a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), but who were not Federal Pell Grant eligible. Finally, if funds still remain, ACM will award all remaining students not awarded in the above two categories who complete a self-certification of COVID-19 related expenses or extenuating circumstances.

All students must meet the following additional criteria to be awarded:

1. Student must be enrolled for the spring 2021 semester for at least one credit.

2. Student cannot be designated as “early college.”

3. Student cannot be designated as “international student.”

4. Student cannot be designated as “non-degree.”

5. Student cannot be designated as DACA student.

Award Amounts to Students

Awards to students will be categorized according to total credits registered for the spring 2021 semester as of 2.11.21. There will be three (3) credit tiers created, with an average credit hour calculated per tier. Tier 1 is for students registered from 1 to 5 credits; Tier 2 is for students registered from 6 to 11 credits; and Tier 3 is for students registered 12 or more credits. Based on the report received from the Office of Institutional Research on 2.11.21, there are 1,571 enrolled students for the spring term who meet the criteria listed above.

1. 792 are Pell Grant eligible

2. 495 filed the FAFSA, but are not Pell Grant eligible

3. 282 did not file the FAFSA

Using 3 Tiers and average credit hour load per tier:

CREDITS	AVERAGE CREDIT LOAD	AVERAGE CREDIT X $50	TOTAL AWARD
1 to 5 Credits	Average Load - 3.33	$50 per credit	$150
6 to 11 Credits	Average Load - 8.42	$50 per credit	$400
12 and Over Credits	Average Load - 13.68	$50 per credit	$700

Total money needed to award all Pell eligible students: $420,850
Total money needed to award FAFSA filers who are not Pell eligible - $252,650
Total money needed to award to all other students - $114,550
Total money needed to award all students: $788,050

As ACM was only awarded $747,083, any additional funds needed to complete this awarding policy will be transferred from the Institutional portion of the HEERF II Act funds.

Instructions and Communications to Students

All students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant will first receive the letter shown below at their home address on March 1, 2021.

March 4, 2021

«LtreqAddress1»

«LtreqAddress2»

«LtreqAddress3»

«LtreqAddress4»

«LtreqAddress5»

Dear «FirstName»,

At Allegany College of Maryland, we are dedicated to providing the resources you need to be successful. To directly show our support during these challenging times, the College will be sending you an emergency assistance check. You must accept these funds through WebAdvisor by March 15, 2021.

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), which was signed into law by Former President Donald J. Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. This act provides emergency grant awards to students in higher education to ensure learning continues for students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have been tasked by the U.S. Department of Education to award these emergency funds to students who show exceptional need. Following the guidelines of the HEERF II Act, funds will first be distributed to students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who are registered for the Spring 2021 semester for at least one credit. You are receiving this emergency funding because you meet this criteria. When your check is ready to be mailed, you will receive an email in your ACM email account.

How to accept your award:

Log in to WebAdvisor and select Financial Aid
Select Award Year 2020-21 and then select Financial Aid in the Heading Bar
Select My Awards and find the HEERF II Award
Click on the Accept or Decline Link and then Accept Your Award
Ø Complete the Certification Statement

In accepting your award, you certify that you have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of this award that are as a direct result of COVID-19 and are in one or more of these areas: college tuition, fees, or books; food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, transportation, and/or childcare; or that you or your parent has had lost wages or exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at info@allegany.edu. I wish you the best and pray that you and your family are safe and well.

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President

Students are directed to their WebAdvisor account to officially certify that they meet the conditions to accept the award and then must officially accept it. Following is the statement of Conditions for Accepting this award:

“In accepting your award, you certify that you have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of this award that are as a direct result of COVID-19 and are in one or more of these areas: college tuition, fees, or books; food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, transportation, and/or childcare; or that you or your parent has had lost wages or exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19.”

An email follow-up will be sent to students who have not accepted the award by March 12, 2021, a copy of which is below. The email contains a link to a detailed instruction sheet on how to accept the award. This document, along with a Q and A document, has been posted to the ACM Webpage under the HEERF II Award page.

Dear <Student First Name>,

You should have received a letter at your home address around March 1, 2021, stating you were awarded a federal grant from President Trump's HEERF II Act law. This letter stated you have until March 15, 2021 to officially accept the award. This email is a reminder to accept your award before March 15.

You are receiving this award because you meet the criteria to receive the award according to the federal government guidelines.

How to accept your award:

Log in to WebADvisor
Go to Financial Aid
Select Award Year 2020-21 and click on "Financial Aid" in the Heading Bar
Select My Awards and find the HEERF II Award
Click on the link Accept or Decline
Accept Your Award and complete the Certification

In accepting your award, you certify that you have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of this award that are as a direct result of COVID-19 and are in one or more of these areas: tuition, fees, or books; food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, transportation, and/or child care; or that you or your parent has had lost wages or exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19.

For detailed instructions on how to accept your award, please click HERE.

Sincerely,
Cynthia S. Bambara
President
Allegany College of Maryland

Administrative Process to Distribute Funds to Students

ACM will use their FAMS (Ellucian’s Colleague) to award and disburse the HEERF II Act grants. The Director of Accounting will set up a special Accounts Receivable code called “HE” which will allow the award to be disbursed in full without passing through the outstanding balances form. The Director of Student Financial Aid will create a special award code called “HEERF.” The Office of Institutional Research will provide a spreadsheet of eligible students, including their ACM Student ID and eligible credit hours, to the Director of Student Financial Aid, who will then calculate the correct award amount for each student and add the award to the AIDE form for each eligible applicant with a status of “Pending.” Once the student officially accepts the award and confirms agreement of the certification statement, the status will turn to “Accepted” and the student will be paid through the normal Financial Aid Transmittal procedure on a weekly basis.

The Director of Student Financial Aid will run a report daily to find the students who have accepted their award in WebAdvisor and completed the certification statement so that payment can be made to them. Payment will result in an ACM check being printed and mailed to the home address of the student. The student will also receive an email notification on the day the check is mailed.

Dear FIRST.NAME,

A financial aid payment from the HEERF II ACT has been made to you and a check has been mailed to your home address.

Student Financial Aid Office

Allegany College of Maryland

12401 Willowbrook Road, SE

Cumberland, MD 21502-2596

Conclusion

It is the goal of Allegany College of Maryland to get these emergency grant funds into the hands of our students as quickly as possible. We realize not all students may accept the HEERF II Act award; and therefore, we may have remaining funds. At the point that all students awarded have been paid, the Director of Student Financial Aid Programs will work with Senior Administration to determine the awarding principles and procedures for these leftover funds. This report will be updated on at least a monthly basis to show student awards paid to date.

Update 3.25.21

All Pell Grant eligible students were awarded and notified on March 8, 2021; and students in the other two groups were awarded and notified on March 15, 2021. Total students awarded is 1,569. As of this date, funds totaling $710,400.00 have been disbursed to 1,390 students. Six (6) students have declined the award.

The remaining 167 students have yet to accept their award. This group was sent a reminder text on March 19, of which a sample is below.

“DON’T MISS OUT! Final reminder to accept your HEERF-COVID Grant by March 22. Check your ACM Email account or call the Student Financial Aid Office for details on how to accept this award.”

In order to spend the entire award amount, the deadline to accept the award was moved back to April 1, 2021; and an email stating this and reminding these students to accept their award was sent on 3.25.21. A copy of the email is below.

Dear <Student Name>,

You should have received a letter at your home address around March 8, 2021, stating you were awarded a federal grant from President Trump's HEERF II Act law DUE TO COVID-19. This letter stated you have until March 22, 2021 to officially accept the award. This email is a NOTCE THAT WE ARE EXTENDING THAT DEADLINE TO APRIL 1, 2021.

You are receiving this award because you meet the criteria to receive the award according to the federal government guidelines.

In accepting your award, you certify that you have incurred expenses at least equal to the amount of this award that are as a direct result of COVID-19 and are in one or more of these areas: tuition, fees, or books; food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, transportation, and/or child care; or that you or your parent has had lost wages or exceptional circumstances due to COVID-19.

HOW TO ACCEPT YOUR AWARD - Reply to this email with the following: I agree with the certification statement and wish to accept my award.

After the Student Financial Aid Office receives your email, you will be paid within 2 weeks.

Sincerely,
Student Financial Aid Office

Contact Information

The following employees of Allegany College of Maryland have been designated to assist enrolled or prospective students in obtaining information on our school, financial assistance, graduation and retention rates, security policies, and crime statistics:

Vicki A Smith
Director of Student Financial Aid

301-784-5354

Jennifer Engelbach
Director of Advising, Admissions, and Registration

301-784-5656

Dr. Renee Conner
Dean of Student and Legal Affairs

301-784-5206