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 Information
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 -
Computer Policies and Procedures
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 | ||
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:
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:
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.
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
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:
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 childcare.
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.
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:
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
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.
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 childcare.
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:
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.
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 2ND round of recipients to award and Vicki Smith, Director of Student Financial Aid, requested the report:
On 7.9.20, 46 students were awarded in the 2nd 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.
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:
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>>,
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 $522 by JULY 20, 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:
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.”
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>>,
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 $812 by JULY 20, 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:
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
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:
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>>,
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 $105 by AUGUST 15, 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) 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:
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 29, 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 $210 by AUGUST 15, 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) 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:
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.”
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 29, 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 $420 by AUGUST 15, 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) 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:
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
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.
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.
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
Jennifer Engelbach
Director of Advising, Admissions, and Registration
Dr. Renee Conner
Dean of Student and Legal Affairs