CARES Emergency Student Aid FAQ

Eligible students meet the following criteria:

• Enrolled in on-campus classes and affected by the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19
• Eligible for Federal Financial Aid and have a valid FAFSA on file
  • Valid social security number
  • U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Selective Service registration (students identified as male at birth)
  • A high school diploma, GED, or eligible home school completion
  • Seeking a Butler degree or eligible certificate
  • Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress standards
  • Not be in student aid default, overpayment or over award status
  • Not have a federal or state conviction for drug possession or sale while receiving Federal Financial Aid, with certain time limitations
  • Have a valid signature on FAFSA, to serve as a signed statement of educational purpose
• Enrollment Requirements - Students must be enrolled in a face-to-face-class
  • Current Spring 2020 enrollment on campus
    OR
  • Spring 2020 enrollment with withdrawal after March 13th and a continuing student enrolled for Summer 2020 or Fall 2020 on campus
    OR
  • Summer 2020 student enrolled in on campus class modality

In an attempt to meet Congress’s intent to deliver emergency student aid relief as expeditiously as possible, while prioritizing students with exceptional need, Butler has identified two categories of students- students receiving direct disbursement without an application and students who may apply for remaining funds by completing the online application process.

Direct Disbursement- No Application Required

Students actively enrolled in the Spring 2020 semester as of May 11th, who received a Pell grant disbursement, have been identified as students eligible for a direct disbursement of Butler CARES Emergency Student Aid. Students in this category do not need to submit an application nor provide additional information to receive these funds. Students receiving direct disbursement will be notified by Butler email. These funds will be automatically disbursed to your Butler student account and the full amount will be issued to you as a refund. If you signed up for direct deposit, these funds will be issued to you by e-refund to the account you identified. If you are not signed up for direct deposit, a check will be mailed by USPS to your address of record.

If you received a direct distribution of CARES Emergency Student Aid, but did not incur expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, you may return your CARES funds to Butler Community College, Attn. Accounts Receivable, 901 S Haverhill Rd, El Dorado, KS 67042.

Application Required

A portion of Butler CARES Emergency Student Aid is reserved for students who did not receive a direct disbursement. Eligible students who did not receive a direct disbursement, who experienced expenses related to the disruption to on-campus operations due to COVID-19, had the opportunity to submit an application. The application process is now closed.

You may view and update your mailing address by selecting ‘Personal Information’ from the ‘Student Quick Clicks’ drop-down menu from your Pipeline home page.

Distribution of Remaining Funds

The CARES Act Emergency Student Aid funds were intended to provide emergency assistance to students impacted by a disruption to campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the Summer semester came to an end, face-to-face campus operations resumed and Fall 2020 classes are being offered in a variety of modalities- face-to-face, blended, and online.

The determination was made to discontinue the application process at the end of the Summer 2020 semester due to an extremely low volume of qualified applicants. The remaining CARES student funds were distributed in the following way:

• Students previously identified as being impacted by the disruption of campus operations during the Spring 2020 semester due to COVID-19 will receive an additional $125 disbursement.
  • Identified by having a prior CARES disbursement for Spring 2020
• Students enrolled in face-to-face classes for Summer 2020 were impacted by the disruption to campus operations, since classes were taught in a remote format. The remaining CARES student funds were divided and provided through direct distribution to the following identified students:
  • Enrolled in at least one face-to-face or blended course during the Summer 2020 semester
  • Awarded Title IV aid for the Summer 2020 semester
  • Not on Financial Aid suspension going in to the Summer 2020 semester

The application process is now closed. Students receiving a direct disbursement do not need to complete an application nor submit any other paperwork.

Students who did not receive a direct disbursement, who had expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, had the opportunity to complete the application process to apply for Butler CARES Emergency Student Aid Funds. Please note that submission of application was not a guarantee of award. Funds will be awarded until exhausted.

The U.S. Department of Education specifies that CARES emergency student aid funds are for expenses related to the disruption of campus classes due to COVID-19. Examples of eligible expenses include:

• Technology (laptop, internet, other equipment purchased after March 13th)
• Course Materials
• Housing
• Temporary Food Insecurity
• Childcare
• Healthcare
• Travel (out-of-state student returning home)
• Loss of Financial Aid due to Cancellation of Class by Butler Community College

It is important to note that loss of income is not an eligible expense. If you have experienced a loss of income, please contact the Financial Aid Office by emailing finaid@butlercc.edu or calling 316.322.3121.

If you received a direct distribution of CARES Emergency Student Aid, but did not incur expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19, you may return your CARES funds to Butler Community College, Attn. Accounts Receivable, 901 S Haverhill Rd, El Dorado, KS 67042.

No. These emergency student aid funds will not be applied to a student’s Butler account charges. CARES funding is to assist students with expenses related to the disruption of on-campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Students awarded funds will receive the full disbursement as a refund.

Students with an account balance should contact the Accounts Receivable Office by emailing ar@butlerc.edu or calling 316.322.3181 regarding payment options.

Yes. Awards will be released through direct deposit. Students may sign-up for direct deposit by selecting the ‘My Account’ button from their Pipeline home page. This is the quickest way for a student to receive their funds.

Students not signed up for direct deposit will have a check mailed via USPS to their address of record.

CARES emergency student aid funds are meant to provide short-term assistance to students experiencing unexpected costs related to the disruption of campus operations. Funds are limited and will be awarded until exhausted. This is a one-time award and only one application may be submitted.

CARES emergency student aid funds are meant to help defray realized costs and may not cover all expenses.

The Butler Financial Aid Office is committed to eliminating financial barriers and helping students identify ways to make their education affordable. If you would like information regarding financial aid opportunities, or the financial aid process at Butler, please visit our website at www.butlercc.edu/financial-aid or email finaid@butlercc.edu.