Financial Aid

Cares Act-Emergency Financial Aid Grant

Advanced Welding Institute is pleased to announce that has been authorized by the U.S. Department of Education under the Section 18004(a)(1) of the Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act) to receive grants funds for the amount of $23,294.00. Advanced Welding Institute is required under Section 18004(c) of the CARES Act to use no less than fifty percent (50%) of the funds received to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of the school’s operations due to coronavirus such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child-care expenses. The students and the school are not allowed to use the funds as a payment method for tuition expenses. The funds cannot be used for any purpose other than the direct payment of grants to students for their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus.

The school will distribute the grant funds between the students of the main school in South Burlington, Vermont, and the branch school in Eagle River, Wisconsin:

  • As of July 2020, there was an estimated total of eight (8) students (Vermont and Wisconsin) at the school who may be eligible to participate under section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.
  • As of November 2020, there is an estimated total of twenty-six (26) students (Wisconsin) at the school who may be eligible to participate under section 484 in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and thus eligible to receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act.

Advanced Welding Institute will distribute these funds to students who are Title IV eligible and demonstrate significant need.

  • The students of July 2020 may be eligible to receive up to $2,900 in emergency grant.
  • The students of November 2020 may be eligible to receive up to $550 in emergency grant.

As a part of the process to determine students’ eligibility, the student must write a letter that serves as a Request for Emergency Funds, in which the student will address the expenses related to the disruption of the school’s operations due to coronavirus. The request must include the nature of the expenses, the amount of the expenses, and dates covered. The students must include copies of receipts of their expenses or any other document that he/she may deemed necessary as a proof of eligibility for the emergency grant. The Request for Emergency Funds must be sent to Omayra Torres, Financial Aid Director, by email at omayra@awi.edu.

When the school determines that a student is eligible to receive an emergency grant, the school will proceed to notify in writing the award amount to the student. The school may split the award amount in up to two payments. The first payment will be after the award notification. The second payment will be 60 days after the first payment, but the student must meet the school’s policies regarding attendance and satisfactory academic progress: student must maintain a 90% attendance rate, achieve a minimum average of 70% for each course, and attain one certification in each welding process (if applicable).

The total amount of Emergency Financial Aid Grants distributed to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act as of the date of the submission is as follows:

  • August 27, 2020 - $3,772.09. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 4 students.
  • October 14, 2020 - $2,472.09. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 4 students.
  • December 11, 2020 - $4,467.41. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 10 students.
  • December 17, 2020 - $1,504.13. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 5 students.
  • December 18, 2020 - $775.00. The total number of students who have received an Emergency Financial Aid Grant to students under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act is 2 students.

For any questions regarding this Emergency Grant, you can contact Omayra Torres at 802-825-2265.