Report 2021-611 Recommendations

To maximize the available HEERF funds, CSU Chico should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid.

To ensure that CSU Chico complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement.

If the CSU Chancellor's Office and UCOP do not ensure that their respective campuses submit eligible expenses incurred in response to the pandemic to FEMA for reimbursement, the Legislature should direct the CSU Chancellor's Office and UCOP to do so or explain why submitting these claims was not feasible.

To maximize the available HEERF funds, CSU Long Beach should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid.

To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, UCOP should direct each of its respective campuses to submit a report summarizing all expenses incurred in response to the pandemic between January 2020 and December 31, 2021 and identifying any expenses that are eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, UCOP should review and evaluate the campuses' reports described in recommendation #2 to ensure that they are consistently identifying expenses eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, UCOP should monitor its campuses' FEMA claims to ensure that eligible expenses are submitted to FEMA and, for any expenses not submitted, obtain the campuses' explanation for why it is not feasible to submit them.

In the event of a future emergency federal student aid program that lacks detailed criteria regarding how funds are to be awarded, such as an allocation of additional pandemic-related funds under current requirements, UCOP should provide guidance on the priorities and processes for distributing student aid so that its campuses can consistently distribute funds to students in similar situations.

UCOP should assist campuses with obtaining federal funds intended to support the success of minority students by creating an initiative to promote obtaining U.S. Department of Education status as Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions at those UC campuses that meet the demographic requirement.

To maximize the available HEERF funds, UC Merced should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid.

To ensure that UC Merced receives all available federal funds, its office of student affairs should monitor its emails for grant award notifications and develop policies and procedures to review all federal award announcements to determine whether it is named as a recipient.

To comply with federal regulation, UC Merced should promptly spend the remainder of its CARES MSI funds and return the interest earned on those funds in excess of $500 to the federal government.

To ensure that UC Merced complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement.

To ensure that UC Riverside complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement.

To maximize the available HEERF funds, UC San Diego should review expenses it incurred in response to the pandemic since January 2020 and submit all eligible expenses to FEMA for reimbursement. The campus should reallocate any HEERF funds initially spent for these expenses to other purposes, such as replacing lost revenue or providing additional student aid.

To allow UC San Diego to apply for funds to expand its capacity to serve its minority students, it should immediately develop an interim plan for supporting its Asian American and Native Pacific Islander student population and apply for MSI status during the next available application cycle.

To ensure that UC San Diego complies with the U.S. Department of Education guidance, it should compile a specific list of housing and dining refunds reimbursed with HEERF funds and review the transactions to ensure that they were eligible for reimbursement.

To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, the CSU Chancellor's Office should direct each of its campuses to submit a report summarizing all expenses incurred in response to the pandemic between January 2020 and December 31, 2021 and identifying any expenses that are eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, the CSU Chancellor's Office should review and evaluate the campuses' reports described in recommendation #7 to ensure that they are consistently identifying expenses eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

To encourage campuses to obtain additional federal funds that allow them to maximize student services and aid, the CSU Chancellor's Office should monitor its campuses' FEMA claims to ensure that eligible expenses are submitted to FEMA and, for any expenses not submitted, obtain the campuses' explanation for why it is not feasible to submit them.

In the event of a future emergency federal student aid program that lacks detailed criteria regarding how funds are to be awarded, such as an allocation of additional pandemic-related funds under current requirements, the CSU Chancellor's Office should provide guidance on the priorities and processes for distributing student aid so that its campuses can consistently distribute funds to students in similar situations.