Dear Students,
Yesterday, you received a message regarding a new grading option that will allow students to elect into a Credit Earned/No Credit Earned (CE/NE) grading process for eligible spring terms and courses. That message included information on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into law on March 27 and provides emergency assistance for individuals, families and businesses affected by the 2020 coronavirus (COVID-19). The College has spent time reviewing the expansive document and has identified several provisions that may provide relief for Mercy students.
Below are provisions in the CARES Act that pertain to Mercy students and only provide relief as a result of being COVID-19 related:
- Continuation of federal work-study payments: Permits Mercy to make payments for students through the spring term, even if the student is unable to perform the required work due to campus closures.
- Federal financial aid relief for students who withdraw from all spring term courses:
- Students who withdraw may keep federal Pell and SEOG grants awarded for the spring term.
- Students who withdraw are not obligated to repay the federal Direct Student Loans borrowed for the spring term.
- Students who withdraw maintain pre-Spring 2020 lifetime eligibility for federal Pell grants and federal Direct Student Loans.
- Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) flexibility: Permits Mercy to exclude attempted credits not completed from the quantitative component of the SAP calculation without requiring an appeal.
- Continuing education at affected foreign institutions: Allows Mercy students in study abroad programs that have gone online to continue receiving federal financial aid through June 30, 2020.
- Temporary relief for federal student loan borrowers: Suspends borrowers’ obligations to make payments on their federally held student loans, including Direct and FFELP Loans through September 2020; suspends interest on payments; counts the suspended payments towards payment requirements for forgiveness provisions; and, suspends garnishment of wages, Social Security and tax refunds, among other measures, for borrowers in default during this period.
The measures outlined in bullets 2 and 3 are meant to provide significant relief to students who believe they simply cannot continue this semester and must withdraw. However, we encourage you to take advantage of the flexible grading policy of CE/NE this term, if you are able, so that you do not fall behind in your progress towards graduation. We encourage you to connect with your Enrollment Services counselor and your PACT mentor to better understand how these provisions and the new CE/NE grading policy relate to your situation. Read more about the CARES Act.
Sincerely,
Margaret McGrail
Vice President, Enrollment Services