Recently, we have been receiving questions from institutions whether electronic signatures are acceptable for the Statement of Educational Purpose (SEP). Under normal circumstances, students sign this document at an institution’s financial aid office or in front of a notary public, making a “wet,” or physical, signature. However, with pandemic measures…
If your financial aid department had a New Year’s resolution a year ago, it’s possible you tossed it out the window not all that long into a 2020 that veered wildly off-course. We can’t blame you for it, but from an institutional standpoint, it’s important to stay on track during…
If you’re getting a sense of déjà vu, you’re probably not alone, as more coronavirus relief programs with some familiar names are top of mind for higher education institutions. That does not, however, mean the provisions behind the programs will remain the same. On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Department…
During 2020, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), included as part of the wide-ranging CARES Act, provided a lifeline to institutions of higher education and their students. As the policy and requirements for both the student and institutional grants evolved over the year, schools were required to post regular…
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2021 (Act) was signed into law which includes relief funds for the COVID-19 pandemic. This Act is hopefully going to provide continued relief to individuals and our economy. The Act’s relief provisions included $81.88 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund and $23…
Just in time for the holidays, Congress passed a new $900 billion stimulus bill in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Of particular note is the $284 billion set aside for a second round of funding for the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided forgivable Small Business Administration (SBA)…
On December 11, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a Federal Register notice updating waivers and modifications of statutory and regulatory provisions governing the Federal student financial aid programs. We have reviewed these provisions and identified the items that will have the greatest impact on our audit procedures. Read…
This year’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a life preserver for many companies and for-profit organizations, as well as their employees, as the COVID-19 pandemic ramped up and businesses were forced to close. But there are some potential tax considerations for business owners and pass-through entities regarding the loan program…
