CARES Act

CARES Act recipients must have demonstrated eligibility to participate in programs under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act (HEA), which is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students who are not eligible to submit a FAFSA are not eligible for CARES Act funding. However, CBC has other sources of emergency funding available! Whether you’re FAFSA-eligible or not, we still encourage you to submit a COVID-19 Emergency Fund Application if you have financial need due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In order to be eligible for awards, be sure you're enrolled in courses at CBC for the current quarter (fall 2020).

There is no deadline, but funding is limited. The application will remain open until funds are depleted. Any fall CARES awards will be disbursed on the first day of the quarter, September 21, via your Bank Mobile preferences.

No. Submitting an application will not prevent you from being dropped for non-payment after the August 19 tuition deadline. If you haven't received an email confirming you've been awarded funding for tuition before August 18, you'll want to be sure you have alternate payment in place, such as financial aid or your first STEPP payment, to hold your spot in classes.

No. Under the CARES Act, funding is disbursed directly to YOU, the student! You'll be responsible for paying your tuition once you receive the funds. It's also important to note that any CARES awards issued to you may not cover full tuition balances. If you have questions about your payment options, please contact Hawk Central.

Yes, you may reapply. We are doing everything we can to accommodate additional funding requests from eligible students. However, in an attempt to assist as may students as possible, priority will be given to those who have not yet received a CARES grant. Any additional awards will be issued based on availability of funds.

CARES Act funds are intended to cover costs that might disrupt your education such as childcare, course materials, housing/rent, food/groceries, tuition, utilities, healthcare or technology, etc..

We aren’t restricting how much you can apply for, however, we have a limited amount of funds available to assist as many students as possible. Funds will be distributed on a case-by-case basis, and we may not be able to accommodate the full amount you request.

If you are enrolling in fall quarter, the fall application is now open! Fall awards will be disbursed on the first day of the quarter, September 21, via your Bank Mobile preferences.

No, this is a grant that does not need to be repaid.

No, these funds will not reduce or replace financial aid.

Yes, you may still apply for CARES funding. However, for the CARES administrators to confirm your eligibility to receive Title IV funds, please submit a FAFSA application as soon as possible at fafsa.gov. If you need assistance, please contact Hawk Central.

We are doing our best to respond to all applications within five to seven business days. Due to the application volume, response times may vary. We appreciate your patience and ask that you continue to check your email for updates. If you have not received an email after seven business days, you are welcome to email cbcaresFREECOLUMBIA_BASIN for an update on your application status. Please do not submit a new application if you are waiting on a response. A CARES administrator will let you know if we need a new application.

No. The IRS has advised that emergency financial aid grants under the CARES Act are not taxable and should not be included in gross income. Additionally, you cannot claim any deduction or credit for expenses paid with the grant. For more information, visit the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund and Emergency Financial Aid Grants under the CARES Act webpage.

The CBC Food Pantry is continuing to serve students during our remote operations. You can view information on the food pantry and other services for students on our Available Services page.

Columbia Basin College (CBC) has received funding under the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students. CBC returned the signed Certification and Agreement to the Department and has used no less than 50% of funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

On April 20, 2020, CBC received $1,920,205. CBC allocated 100% of the funding to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.

As of Tuesday, June 30,2020, CBC has awarded $1,532,364.00 in CARES Act Emergency Financial Aid Grants to 1168 students.

An estimated 3,000 CBC students are eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are therefore eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

CBC is using a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund application to determine which students receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants. The application asks each student to explain how they have been impacted by COVID-19 and their financial need. In an effort to provide assistance to as many students as possible, the award amount is determined by the amount requested by the student in relation to their enrollment level. CBC is using a database to track eligibility, awards, and any duplicate applications.

Students who are awarded are reminded they are receiving funding the CARES Act, and as such, it is intended for: childcare, course materials, food/groceries, housing/rent, medical/healthcare, technology, tuition and fees, and/or utilities. They are encouraged to use the funds accordingly. Awards are distributed via Bank Mobile, and students without an existing Bank Mobile account are advised to check their CBC student email for an email from Bank Mobile with directions to set up their account and choose how they would like to receive their funds. Students who need assistance with this process are encouraged to contact Hawk Central.