CARES Act / HEERF

The CARES Act is federal legislation that was signed into law by Congress on March 27, 2020, to provide emergency assistance and economic relief for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among other provisions, the CARES Act authorized the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, through which allocations were made to individual institutions of higher education. MMC has received $1,701,441 through this fund, 50% of which ($850,721) must be distributed directly to students in the form of emergency grants to assist with unexpected expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Student Award portion of HEERF I, II, and III funds has been distributed to students. More details about distribution can be found in the HEERF Student Award report section of this webpage.

The College has used all of the HEERF Institutional Award. More details about distribution can be found in the HEERF Institutional Award report section of this webpage.

Filing the FAFSA is the easiest way. The items listed below are required and are collected through the FAFSA.

To be Title IV Federal Aid eligible, students must:

• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program
• Be making satisfactory academic progress
• Have completed a 2019-20 or 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Not owe an overpayment on Title IV grants or loans
• Not be in default on a Title IV loan
• File “as part of the original financial aid application process” a certification that includes:
  • A statement of educational purpose
  • Student’s SSN
• Be a U.S. citizen or national, permanent resident, or other eligible noncitizen
• Have returned fraudulently obtained Title IV funds if convicted of or pled guilty or no contest to charges
• Not have fraudulently received Title IV loans above annual or aggregate limits
• Have repaid Title IV loan amounts over annual or aggregate limits if obtained
• Have Selective Service registration verified if male
• Have a verified Social Security Number
• Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale, with certain time limitations

The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund provides funding to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted by COVID-19, many of whom are facing financial challenges and are struggling to make ends meet. Eligible expenses may include food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care.

Students will receive a message to their MMC email account with details about your award amount and any instructions you need to follow to receive your funds.

Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in direct deposit to receive CARES Act funds quickly and securely. See instructions below.

Students who do not or cannot sign up for direct deposit will receive a paper check. See instructions below for updating your mailing address if needed.

EFT/Direct Deposit Instructions

Enrolling is quick and easy. Be sure to have your bank account and routing numbers on hand. To begin the process, follow the steps below:

• Log onto MMC Connect using your MMC credentials
• Under the ‘Financial Information’ section, select ‘Bank Information (U.S.)’ and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Once you complete the online registration, a confirmation email will be sent to your MMC email address.

Update Preferred Permanent Mailing Address*

*Please note that EFT/Direct Deposit is the preferred method for fund distribution.

• Log onto MMC Connect using your MMC credentials
• Under the ‘User Account” section, select “Update Mailing Address” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Emergency grants provided to students through the CARES Act are not taxable. Click here to read detailed guidance from the IRS.

Please send a message to CARESAct@mmm.edu if you have further questions, and a member of the Center for Student Services will respond as soon as possible.