Breakdown of VA College COVID Response
Last updated: May 13th, 2020
Students
Tuition Refund
GMU will not refund tuition and mandatory fees
Tuition Freeze: the Board of Visitors postponed their May 6 meeting where they would have voted on a tuition increase to later in May due to the State Government re-doing their budget in late April.
Room & Board & Meal Plan Refund
Students will begin to receive their refunds in the coming weeks, with all refunds expected to be processed by the end of the semester. Students who have an Independence plan may receive up to $2,000 from their combined housing and dining refunds, although each refund will vary and be based on specific housing and dining plans. Credits will be applied automatically to outstanding balances on student accounts, with the remainder refunded by Direct Deposit or check.
Housing
Housing: Mason has a Student Emergency Assistance fund that students can submit a form to request financial assistance.
The UPS Store on campus offers safe storage services for students who will be going back home in light of the school changes that are taking place. The fee for storage on campus is $300 for 120 day. They are accepting summer storage items early to assist students in their time of need. They will store items safely now and have them ready for pick up in August.
If students wish to get their belonging packed and shipped, the estimated cost would be around $700.
Emergency Fund
Students who meet the criteria can apply to the Emergency Student Relief Fund. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of staff in University Life, and decisions will be communicated to students via email within five business days of submission.
Academic Policy
Undergraduates will have until the end of the term, which is currently May 20, 2020, to choose the Credit/Non-credit option for undergraduate courses (100-400 level) they are registered. This will not count towards their GPA. These will be noted in transcripts as:
XS (Extraordinary Circumstances – Satisfactory) – The student earns credit in the course by meeting a minimum grade threshold; at the undergraduate level that would be a C or higher, at the graduate level it would be a B- or higher.
XP (Extraordinary Circumstances – Pass) – The student earns credit in the course but has not met a minimum grade threshold to apply the course to requirements with a minimum grade requirement; at the undergraduate level this would be a C- or D, at the graduate level it would be a C.
XN (Extraordinary Circumstances – No Credit) – The student does not earn credit in the course.
Employees
Visiting Professors & Adjuncts
On March 12, 2020, the Commonwealth of Virginia announced the availability of Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) (PDF), which provides employees with leave when the State Health Commission and Governor declare communicable disease of public health threat conditions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
PHEL will cover cases where telework or the suggested alternatives are not possible. All employees, including wage and student wage, adjuncts, and federal work study positions, have access to a maximum of 160 hours, or pro-rated based on the number of hours an employee is normally scheduled to work.
Contract Employees
Information unknown.
Students are urging the university to reach out to contractors such as Sodexo for dining, LT Solutions for custodial workers, and Whitley-Turner for construction workers about how they will provide paid sick leave, hazard pay, severance for laid off workers, and healthcare to their workers during this time of crisis.
Direct Employment
PHEL will cover cases where telework or the suggested alternatives are not possible.
All employees, including wage and student wage, adjuncts, and federal work study positions, have access to a maximum of 160 hours, or pro-rated based on the number of hours an employee is normally scheduled to work.
This additional leave is intended to serve as a stop-gap measure until the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) goes into effect.
The maximum amount of PHEL paid leave must not exceed the maximum number of hours an employee would normally work each week.
Graduate Research & Teaching Assistants
Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs), and Graduate Professional Assistants (GPAs), and Graduate Lecturers (GLs) are expected to continue their responsibilities, in most cases by working remotely.
Similar arrangements are being made for summer assistantships. If your assistantship responsibilities are happening outside the United States, contact your supervising faculty member to receive guidance on your individual situation.
Student Employees
Student employees (i.e., student wage workers, graduate assistants) are not required to telework, but those who want to continue working remotely should follow guidance provided for faculty and staff. The University Flexible Work Policy will be expanded temporarily during this time to include student workers.
Students who are unable to work are able to use PHEL.
Administration
Communication
Administration has held a town hall meeting with President Anne Holton, Website gets updated frequently and shows when it has been recently updated. Navigation of website requires time to locate information.
Estimated Federal CARES Act Funding
GMU is estimated to receive$10,144,012 to fund student aid to student aid (housing, etc. add more examples)
To apply for the COVID-19 CARES Act awards, you must use the COVID-19 Student Emergency Funding application (the same one that provides emergency student funding). The certification form to receive the funds must be submitted by May 20, 2020. Funds are scheduled to be released to students at the end of spring semester. (week of May 25th).
More information can be found here. If you require assistance with this process, please contact Financial Aid through the Mason Student Services Center.
Those who are not eligible to receive funds from the CARES act can still submit a request for emergency funding through the COVID-19 student emergency assistance process.
Students
Tuition Refund
No refund.
Tuition and fees will continue to pay for the faculty’s delivery of instruction, as well as all the associated costs with educational delivery.
Tuition Freeze: Information unknown.
Room & Board & Meal Plan Refund
Housing and dining refunds will be done separately
Housing
Students must have submitted the form by March 18 to receive permission to remain on campus.
They were also providing assistance to students on financial aid who need help in returning to their homes. Students and parents can request that University Police do a visual exterior security check of a student’s dorm, apartment, or house, on Grounds and in their adjacent patrol area. Complete the following form .
All residents of Bice, Bond, and the language houses (those who had to relocate) were notified on April 5th by Housing & Residence Life that their belongings would be relocated to clear space in these buildings to address needs for bed capacity related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students’ belongings will be carefully packed and placed in storage by an approved third-party vendor. The University will cover the costs associated with removing and storing these belongings until students are able to retrieve them at move-out.
Emergency Fund
All students at the University, including DACA students, will be eligible to apply for emergency hardship payments Application to receive emergency funding can be found here
Academic Policy: Universal Pass/Double A
Students will either be able to do the default Credit, General, No Credit Option,or switch to letter-grade. Students have until 11:59pm April 28, to decide which one they will use.
What Credit, General Credit, and No Credit Means:
• Credit (CR): Awarded if you meet the class’s requirements for credit (C or higher). For Spring 2020 only, CR will meet all undergraduate degree requirements, including prerequisites, general education, major, minor, etc. CR will not affect your GPA.
• General Credit (GC): Awarded if you receive a passing grade below a C. GC will earn the credit hours associated with the course and will fill undergraduate requirements that can be met by a passing grade lower than C. GC will not affect your GPA.
• No Credit (NC): Awarded if you receive a grade of F. This grade will not earn credit or meet any requirements. NC will not affect your GPA.
Employees
Visiting Professors & Adjuncts
The University has granted a one-year tenure extension for faculty who meet certain eligibility criteria.
As of April 9, UVA will be extending the tenure clock across the board to support the success of our tenure-track faculty by compensating for the time lost due to the current crisis.
Contract Employees
UVA has committed to honoring employment contracts for the foreseeable future.
UVA has asked contractors to structure any reductions in workforce in ways that enable their employees to take full advantage of federal and state relief. They hope that many of the contracted workers are eligible for a number of federal unemployment benefits. Many will be eligible for a new one-time federal tax credit. UVA states they are continuing to talk with our major contractors about what they are doing.
There is an Emergency Assistance Fund for Employees and Contracted Workers that will remain operational until June 1, when it will be reassessed. It provides employees of the University and associated organizations, as well as those who work for UVA’s major contractors, with financial resources to assist in this time of need. Workers can apply online, or can call the HR Solution Center at 434.243.3344. Telephone intakes are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm.
Direct Employment
UVA will honor all existing commitments for the foreseeable future whether it is a part-time or full-time position. The University has redirected $2 million in one-time funds that was set aside for community initiatives and staff support.
Graduate Research & Teaching Assistants
GRAs and GTAs will receive continuity of pay, for the period of their existing commitment as a GRA or GTA, whether or not they can work remotely.
Student Employees
Work-Study students who are not able to work remotely, but who have spring 2020 work-study awards/allocations with Student Financial Services (SFS) and who had earnings already this term, will be paid biweekly based on scheduled hours consistent with previous hours worked, not to exceed their total FWS award for the year.
Non-FWS student employees who cannot work remotely are not eligible to continue working while the University’s operating schedule is modified; therefore, they will not be paid.
Administration
Communication
While the site provides updates, it fails to indicate what information or pages have been updated.
UVA is working on determining how this upcoming fall semester will look like. Their goal is to have more clarity by early June.
Estimated Federal CARES Act Funding
UVA is estimated to receive a total of $11,716,710
UVA will be deploying the CARES Act funds (the remaining portion of the $5.86 million to be distributed to the University on behalf of students) in the form of emergency grants to address new financial needs arising for students from the COVID-19 crisis.
To receive CARES Act funding, you must apply. Distribution of funds is yet to be determined.
All students at the University, including DACA students, will be eligible to apply for emergency hardship payments. Application to receive emergency funding can be found here.
Students
Tuition Refund
Tuition and Mandatory Fees (University, Library, Technology, Campus Learning Center, Activity, Health, etc.) will not be refunded.
School of the Arts differential tuition: Full-time students will be credited $350 and part-time students will be credited $42 per credit hour.
Tuition Freeze: There will be no tuition increase for in-state or out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students.
Room & Board & Meal Plan Refund
For Housing: Students with a 9 month contract will receive a $1,150 credit/refund and students with a 12 month contract will receive a $1,450 credit/refund.
For Dining: Students with 9-month contracts will receive a $1,150 credit/refund and students with 12-month contracts will receive a $1,450 credit/refund.Students not living in on-campus housing as of Monday, April 6, 2020 will be credited/refunded the calculated value of unused swipes and any unused dining dollars.
Student parking will be refunded for the remaining months in the spring semester.
Housing
Emergency Housing: Students who met one of two eligibility requirements had to complete the Emergency Petition to Remain on Campus by Friday, March 20, 2020. Those approved to remain on campus through the emergency petition process might have been asked to move to a different residence hall. In addition, students who had a high financial need vacating housing could have apply for consideration for financial assistance.
Free & Secure Storage: Resident Life and Housing had a move-out survey on April 20, 2020 to residents that have yet to check-out of their room (excluding those in The Honors College). This survey would provide information to RLH to work on putting together a full move-out plan. If you receive the survey you had to complete it by noon, April 24, 2020. All belongings left in rooms of The Honors College have been inventoried, boxed, labeled and relocated to storage with Richmond Commercial Services. Starting June 11, residents may pick up their belongings. Belongings will remain in storage until August 30, 2020.
Emergency Fund
VCU Emergency Relief Funds allow the university to consider students for emergency financial aid grants for: expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus (including eligible expenses under a student's cost of attendance, such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care).
To be considered for emergency funding, students will need to complete an application and provide an explanation of their circumstances along with documentation (travel expense receipts, COVID-19 medical diagnosis, etc.).
Academic Policy
Students have until May 15 to decide if they wish to continue with letter-grades as their final course grade, or if they wish to use Pass/Pass Satisfactory/Fail.
What Pass, Pass Satisfactory, Fail means:
• Grade of Pass (P) is awarded for certain courses to denote satisfactory completion of requirements equivalent to letter grades A-C. It will not count towards your GPA.
• Grade of Pass Satisfactory (PS) is awarded for certain courses to denote satisfactory completion of requirements equivalent to the letter grade D. It will not count towards your GPA.
• Grade of Fail (F) s considered not passing. It will count towards your GPA.
Employees
Visiting Professors & Adjuncts
Most VCU positions, including faculty, staff, part-time, hourly, teaching assistants, graduate assistants, adjuncts, student workers, post docs, etc., as well as some grant-funded positions, are included in the hiring freeze. Secondary and overload appointments are also included.
An exception to the hiring freeze has been granted for all hires that are fully funded by grants and contracts and for those positions that will be joint funded between grant and contract sources and facilities and administrative cost recoveries sources. The hiring and salary freeze will continue indefinitely.
All extended offers accepted by candidates prior to April 3, 2020 will be honored. Offers should not be rescinded. Start dates may be renegotiated.
Contract Employees
From the most recent letter from Dr. Rao: “ There is a strong possibility for a furlough in the coming year that affects all university employees.”
Direct Employment
Some students whose work is or can be performed remotely, such as student tutors or help desk support, will be asked to continue working and will be provided with premium pay (1.5 times your regular hourly rate). Supervisors will reach out to you if your work falls into this category.
Graduate Research & Teaching Assistants
As posted on March 27, Graduate assistants funded through the Graduate School’s budget will continue to be paid through the time period stated in your contract. Research assistants must contact their faculty advisor or principal investigator to discuss activities to continue your research in a productive manner. Additional information can be provided by your advisor, graduate program director, associate dean for graduate education in your school or college.
Student Employees
Students who are part of the federal work-study program will be paid up to the amount of their award on the normal semi-monthly pay schedule. Student workers (non-federal work-study) will have their payments continued through May 9. Click here for more details.
Some students whose work is or can be performed remotely, such as student tutors or help desk support, will be asked to continue working and will be provided with premium pay (1.5 times your regular hourly rate). Supervisors will reach out to you if your work falls into this category.
Administration
Communication
While the site provides updates, it fails to indicate what information or pages have been updated.
VCU is using Climatext, which gauges the sentiment of faculty, staff and students through a series of “pulse” surveys, which include short prompts or questions designed to provide a high-level snapshot of thoughts and feelings about a particular topic at a particular moment in time
Climatext provides quick feedback to uncover trends and gain insights that the university can incorporate into decisions. In this new climate, tools like this help ensure we get the input we need in time to use it. Learn more about climate surveys and continue to share your ideas..
Estimated Federal CARES Act Funding
VCU is estimated to receive a total of $20,288,998.
VCU has established a COVID-19 emergency relief funding website, which outlines the qualifications to be considered for federal or institutional relief funds.
The value of the grants may vary up to $2,000 based on your unique circumstances. Students who apply for emergency relief funding should expect to hear from the SFMC within 10 business days of submitting an application. Federal funding for the Emergency Relief Grant is limited and will be awarded to eligible students meeting the consideration criteria.
Students impacted by COVID-19, but not eligible for federal funds, may be eligible for emergency funding that is being offered through Student Affairs.
Students
Tuition
Tuition Refund: Information unknown.
Tuition Freeze: The Board of Visitors announced on April 23, due to the impact of the pandemic on admitted students and their families, that it intends to roll back a previously adopted 3% tuition increase for incoming in-state undergraduates in fall 2020 and keep all tuition and mandatory fees flat next year. A full meeting of the Board will take place in May, when the administration will recommend its 2020-21 budget.
Room & Board & Meal Plan Refund
Room & Board, Meal Plan: prorates will be provided based on the housing style and meal plan students had.
Parking Refund: Students with a 2019-2020 parking decal will receive a rebate of $54.
Housing
Emergency Housing: All students at William & Mary are required to have evacuation plans in case of emergency situations that would not allow for them to remain on campus. Our Student Affairs staff committed to working with individual students who were unable to implement their personal evacuation plans, reaching out individually to every student in need to ensure they had a solution. No student was left without shelter on March 25.
Secure Storage: The university has entered into an agreement with the following vendors offering summer and break storage solutions at special pricing:
Dorms will also remain to be locked until further notice.
Emergency Fund
The university has gathered a list of funds that can be put to immediate use for emergency needs.
Students with specific needs are encouraged to contact the office at deanofstudents@wm.edu so we can assess your personal situation.
Academic Policy
Pass/Fail is available for undergraduate students. Students have until May 29 to decide what grading method they will choose. Pass /fail applies to major, minor, COLL, proficiencies, etc. courses.
Graduate students will receive guidance from their schools and programs regarding adjustments, if any, to grading modes and withdrawal dates.
Employees
Visiting Professors & Adjuncts
Information unknown.
Contract Employees
Students are working with W&M Sodexo supervisors to ensure that all qualifying applicants have a chance to apply for funding. W&M is not financially supporting their contracted workers.
Direct Employment
According to the Governor’s directive, operational, professional, faculty, temporary and hourly employees, including adjunct faculty, who are unable to telework or unable to work under other alternative work arrangements may use Public Health Emergency Leave. The employees will be paid based on the hours they are normally scheduled to work each week.
Graduate Research & Teaching Assistants
Stipends will continue under the following modified work conditions:
GTAs are expected to work directly with their supervising faculty and/or department chair to support courses delivered through alternative remote models
GRAs are advised to work directly with their Principal Investigator (PI) to continue their research in a remote manner as much as possible
GAs will communicate directly with their supervisor to determine the location and nature of their work
Student Employees
Federal work-study students will continue to be compensated.
Administration
Communication
President Katherine A. Rowe started hosting Community Conversation on April 22 at noon ET. The virtual event will address questions about how the university continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversations will continue on a weekly basis each Wednesday at noon ET through May 13.
Navigation of website requires time to locate information.
Estimated Federal CARES Act Funding
$1.97 million will be awarded as direct emergency aid for students for expenses related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. University staff are working to determine appropriate distribution while W&M awaits the funding in the next several weeks.
Breakdown of how W&M of what eligible students may receive:
Pell-Eligible: $1000
Students who have demonstrated financial needs based on their 2019-20 status: $500
Students who did not have financial need in the 2019-2020 academic year may become eligible for aid this fall as a result of changes to their financial circumstances.
Distribution is expected to occur early June through direct deposit
Students who do not qualify to receive CARES Act funds may be eligible to receive funds through the HEART fund.
HEART funds covers food, transportation, lodging, healthcare and medications, and educational expenses.
Students
Tuition Refund
Tuition refund is not being considered
Tuition Freeze: board of visitors is considering no increase in tuition rates for 2020-21 academic year
Room & Board & Meal Plan Refund
Housing Refund: Room rebates will be applied upon confirmation of student having successfully completed the move-out process.
Meal Plan Refund: The university has currently authorized unspent meal plan balances to roll forward and a refund of $800 to $1,000 to students cancelling their room contracts.
Parking Refund: those who requested refund by April 9, 2020 will be processed a refund for the remaining value of the permit as of March 9, 2020.
Housing
Emergency Housing: To remain on campus, students that met certain criterias had to submit a form by April 3rd, 2020. Students who had to leave campus or who were not approved for campus housing are to receive an $800 rebate.
Free & Secure Storage: Relocation Benefits, LLC., a local Christiansburg VA company, has offered to provide the service of packing and shipping or storing of items for current campus residents.
Emergency Fund
If you are in need of immediate support and have no other remedy, please consider applying for a grant through the Dean of Students Office. Any student currently enrolled at Virginia Tech can apply for a one-time grant to help during this trying time. All students will not be approved for funding.
Academic Policy
Students are able to pick the default A-F grading method, Credit/D Credit/No Credit, or Pass/Fail.
What each option means:
Option one: Students can continue using the A/F grading options.The letter grade a student receives at the end of the semester will be calculated into their GPA.
Option two: Virginia Tech is introducing a new credit/non-credit grade system for the spring 2020 semester only. This option is only available to undergraduate students, and the grade received does not calculate into a student’s GPA. This option applies to electives and major required courses.
The credit/non-credit works as the following:
• “CC”- If an undergraduate student receives a C- or better in their course, they will receive a “CC”, which grants credit for the course and standards for progress to degree.
• “CD”- If an undergraduate student receives a D in their course, they will receive a “CD”, which grants credit for the course.
• “CN”- If an undergraduate receives a failing grade, D- or F, in the course the student will receive “CN’ which means the student will not receive credit for the course.
Option three: Students can choose the pass/fail option; however, pass/fail policies remain unchanged. You cannot use this option for required (major, minor, cognate, CLE, pathways) courses.
Employees
Visiting Professors & Adjuncts
For Pause Tenure Clock: Extensions based on the COVID-19 pandemic may be requested by faculty who are entering their mandatory year in 2020-21.
These requests may be submitted to department heads now and must be submitted by May 1, 2020. Faculty members not in a mandatory year have until May 15, 2021 to request an extension based on the disruption of the pandemic.
A third extension may be requested during the probationary period if one of the extensions is based on the disruption of the pandemic.
Contract Employees
Information unknown.
Direct Employment
Federal Emergency Sick Leave (FESL/FMES, and Expanded Federal Family and Medical Leave (FFML), is available for those impacted by COVID-19..
Graduate Research & Teaching Assistants
GAs will be allowed to return to working on campus as they are needed to support instructional efforts and research, but should not be required to do so. They should consult with their supervisors for guidance.
For graduate assistants with stipend support from extramural grants and sponsors, departments will work with the sponsoring agencies to confirm their ongoing support. In those instances where such support is not possible, the feasibility of bridge support using other departmental or college funding should be explored.
Student Employees
If student wages employees are able to work, they may continue working at the discretion of the department, and they will be paid for the hours they work. If possible, students should work remotely.
If student wage employees are unable to work on-site or remotely, employees in these roles will not be paid. If this action causes financial distress, students should contact the Dean of Students Office, which can help by providing financial assistance or working with students to find jobs needed by the university
Administration
Communication
President Sands held a Town Hall Meeting on 4/23/2020. Navigation around the website is subpar.
Estimated Federal CARES Act Funding
Virginia Tech is receiving $9.7 million in CARES Act funding. The university will distribute the funds to both undergraduate and graduate students through a process of formula-driven distributions and expanded individual emergency support. In an effort to get relief into the hands of students and families as soon as possible, Virginia Tech will distribute the majority of the student aid support based on a formula. The formula will consider factors that include Pell grant eligibility and prior borrowing from direct subsidized or alternative loan programs.
Students who need immediate support can apply for a grant through the Dean of Students Office
Students
Tuition Refund
Information unknown
Room & Board & Meal Plan Refund
Not Applicable.
Housing
Not applicable
Emergency Fund
The NOVA COVID-19 Emergency Student Aid Fund will help with the rapid delivery of emergency aid to students who need it most. NOVA’s aim is to meet students’ basic needs to help them stay in school and complete the semester. The goal is to raise $750,000 to provide at least 1,500 grants of $500 each. Apply here.
Students cannot receive both NOVA COVID-19 Emergency Student Aid and Cares Act student relief.
Academic Policy
NOVA has developed an online process to notify the college that you are requesting letter grades. The two most important things to remember:
You are responsible for completing this process. Unless you notify us that you want a letter grade, your course will default to the P+, P-, WC( Withdrawal -COVID) grading system. P+, P-, WC does not give grade point credit.
Your decision to receive a letter grade in a class is final once you submit your selection form. VCCS policy requires us to record your selection, and it cannot be changed. So NOVA encourages you to take time to consider your options.
Students have the option to request an Incomplete (I) grade directly from your faculty member. Students also have the option of withdrawing from their course up until the day before the last day of class.
Employees
Visiting Professors & Adjuncts
Information Unknown
Contract Employees
Information Unknown
Direct Employment
Information Unknown
Graduate Research & Teaching Assistants
Information Unknown
Studnt Employees
Information Unknown
Administration
Communication
Lack of information for students, employees, and administration that are directly related to NVCC.Updates are not as frequent (website was last updated mid-April)
Estimated Federal CARES Act Funding
Students must meet the following criteria to qualify for the one-time Student Emergency Grants:
They are enrolled in at least 6 college credit hours that were being delivered onsite at one of NOVA’s campuses on March 13, 2020, the date of the National Emergency Declaration.
They continue to be enrolled in at least 6 college credit hours that were originally being delivered onsite at one of NOVA’s campuses as of March 13, 2020.
The funds available for the one-time Student Emergency Grants are limited. While this funding is available, NOVA will award one-time CARES Act Student Emergency Grants up to $750 to eligible students. To apply, click here.
Upon approval of your CARES Act Student Emergency Grant application, the funds will be released to you within one week.