Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS

DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR

CATHERINE P. AWAKUNI COLÓN
DIRECTOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 11, 2020

State Urges Hawaii’s Colleges to Disburse Emergency Cash Grants for Students Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic

HONOLULU – The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) encourages Hawaii’s accredited post-secondary institutions to quickly determine how they will distribute the U.S. Department of Education cash grants provided by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.  The grants, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will be distributed immediately as per an announcement by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos.

The CARES Act provides funds to colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs and are required to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due to the COVID-19 outbreak.  Expenses may include, but are not limited to, course materials and technology, food, housing, health care, and childcare.  In order to access the funds, the U.S. Department of Education requires the institution to sign a certification affirming that it will distribute the funds in accordance with applicable law.  The institution then determines which students will receive the cash grants.

“We want to ensure that these colleges and universities are working quickly to get funding to the students who need it the most,” said Bobbi Lum-Mew, Hawaii Post-secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP) administrator.  “We encourage them to take action so that affected students can continue their education without worry.”

The Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program will be requesting authorized institutions to submit information on how they are disbursing the U.S. Department of Education cash grants. For a list of schools authorized to operate in Hawaii, go to   https://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/authorized-schools/.

For information on COVID-19’s impact on higher education, visit the HPEAP website at https://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/main/covid19 / or email [email protected].

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About Hawaii Post-secondary Education Authorization Program

The Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP) operates within the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 305J. HPEAP authorizes accredited, degree-granting institutions physically present in Hawaii.