HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) wants colleges to determine how they will give out the U.S. Department of Education cash grants provided by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

The grants, authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will be released immediately as noted by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos.

The CARES Act provides funds to colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs and are required to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Expenses may include, but are not limited to, course materials and technology, food, housing, health care, and childcare.

In order to access the funds, the U.S. Department of Education requires the institution to sign a certification affirming that it will distribute the funds in accordance with applicable law.

The institution then determines which students will receive the cash grants.

“We want to ensure that these colleges and universities are working quickly to get funding to the students who need it the most,” said Bobbi Lum-Mew, Hawaii Post-secondary Education Authorization Program (HPEAP) administrator. “We encourage them to take action so that affected students can continue their education without worry.”

The Hawaii Post-Secondary Education Authorization Program will be requesting authorized institutions to submit information on how they are disbursing the U.S. Department of Education cash grants.

For a list of schools authorized to operate in Hawaii, go to http://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/authorized-schools/.

For information on COVID-19’s impact on higher education, visit the HPEAP website at http://cca.hawaii.gov/hpeap/main/covid19 / or email hpeap@dcca.hawaii.gov.