Coronavirus/covid-19 Updates
Prayer Requests
During this time the Family of Holy Apostles is praying for you and your loved ones. We want to offer you the opportunity to send us your specific prayer intentions. If you have any specific prayer requests please send them to us using this email address prayers@holyapostles.edu. All prayer requests will be prayed for by the Holy Apostles Family during our daily Masses and Eucharistic Adoration. God bless you and Mary, Queen of Apostles, watch over and protect us.
HACS Community Updates
May We Prepare Our Hearts
Dear Friends of Holy Apostles College & Seminary,
Even as we faced Coronavirus this year, even as we missed out on family celebrations or birthdays or even funerals, we know we are never alone.
Christmas brings God forever near to us. Born a vulnerable infant, wrapped in “swaddling clothes,” resting in a manger, soothed by the clucking of hens, braying of donkeys, and lowing of cattle. And then the majestic rejoicing of Angel Choirs! We, too, are united in the great chorus, Alleluia!
I thank you for remaining ever near to us who minister, teach and study at Holy Apostles College and Seminary. Your prayers have guided our priests and professors, our seminarians, theology students, our young religious sisters in studies. Your generosity holds open these doors to a new generation of leaders in the Catholic Church we cherish.
In your name, these young men and women, as future priests, religious sisters, and lay leaders, will be sent forth to joyfully preach the Gospel to the whole creation and to baptize in the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
They, too, aspire and strive to be Missionary Disciples of Jesus Christ, as our religious community, the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles, who founded, own, and operate Holy Apostle College and Seminary.
Will you continue your generous and essential partnership with us? Will you please renew your support for our 27 on-campus seminarians, 15 young priests, and 49 religious sisters whose path to ministry and service in the Church is made possible through scholarships you help provide?
In their ongoing gratitude, they join our religious community and the staff of Holy Apostles College and Seminary, in offering you a Christmas Octave of Masses and prayers celebrated in our Queen of Apostles Chapel.
Please complete the intentions form located here as soon as possible with your prayers and the names of your loved ones so we can remember your special intentions in these special Octave Masses. We ask you to remember in your prayers these courageous young Catholic men and women who long to bear Christ Jesus to the world. I ask you to give generously to help them reach their inspired goal and vocation.
In partnership with Holy Apostles College and Seminary, you are providing them the highest quality Catholic education, rich spiritual formation, and in-depth ministry experience to animate and enrich their vocations of service to God’s people.
Their vocations and their lives of service will be their gift of lasting gratitude to you for your goodness and generosity. In their years of need, you hold out a hand of friendship and a foundation of support. They will never forget the gift you are giving them as they go forth as priests, religious sisters, and lay leaders.
May you and your family be protected under the mantle of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Christ Child, Queen of Apostles, and Mother of us all.
Wishing you a Merry and Blessed, Holy and Hopeful Christmas, I remain ~
Very Rev. Peter S. Kucer, M.S.A.
President and Rector
Make a tax-deductible year-end gift Online or by Mail.
- Give Online on or before December 31st
- Send a check postmarked December 31st to Holy Apostles College & Seminary, 33 Prospect Hill Road, Cromwell, CT 06416
Thank you for sharing in the life of the Holy Apostles College & Seminary community and making 2020 a remarkable year.
October 10: CARES Act Emergency Grants to Students – Disclosure per the Department of Education
CARES Act Emergency Grants to Students – Disclosure per the Department of Education
- An acknowledgement that the school signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution used—or intends to use—at least 50 percent of the Cares Act funds received for emergency grants to students.
HACS has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and will use at least 50% of the Cares Act funds received for emergency grants to students.
- The total amount of funds a school received—or will receive—from ED.
The allocated amount awarded by the Department of Ed to HACS was $22,522 of which $11,261 will go to on campus students who experienced sudden disruption. Those students in our online programs are not eligible due to no disruption in their mode of delivery.
- The total amount of emergency grants distributed to students as of the posting/submission date.
The total amount of emergency grants distributed as of 10/10/20 is $9,756.
4. The estimated number of students eligible to participate in the emergency grant program (the number of Title IV eligible students under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act).
The estimated number of students eligible to participate in the emergency grant program is 17.
5. The total number of students who have received emergency grants under the CARES Act.
The total number of students who have received the emergency grants as of 10/10/20 is 10
The total number of students who have declined the emergency grants as of 10/10/20 is 3
The total number of students who have not responded as of 10/10/20 is 4.
6. The method(s) used to determine which students received the emergency grants and how much they received.
The method used to determine which students received the emergency grants was to adhere to the requirement that our oncampus students be Title IV eligible under Section 484 of the HEA.
The method of how much they received in the first Award Offers was to divide both undergrad and graduate students into two categories: full time and less than full time. Then using the Pell Chart schedule to assign the full time students the maximum amount of the lowest cell $775 and the less than full time students were assigned half that amount or $388.
The second Award Offer was based on need according to the FAFSA. Students were sent another Award Offer acknowledging that they still had needs according to the criteria previously established. The first checks of this second wave commenced on 7/22/20.
7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided to students concerning the emergency grants.
Students who had not submitted a FAFSA had to self attest to eligibility in the first letter issued 5/15. As these letters were returned, the Award Offer was issued with the initial awarded amount. The student again needed to self attest that they had needs that met or exceed the awarded amount related to the disruption of their classes on campus due to coronavirus including expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care. As these letters were returned the checks were issued.
As noted in #6, another Award was offered to eligible students based on need, not enrollment status, according to their FAFSA.
This Disclosure to be updated quarterly. The next required update is due on January 10, 2021.
August 24: CARES Act Emergency Grants to Students – Disclosure per the Department of Education
1. An acknowledgement that the school signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution used—or intends to use—at least 50 percent of the Cares Act funds received for emergency grants to students.
HACS has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and will use at least 50% of the Cares Act funds received for emergency grants to students.
2. The total amount of funds a school received—or will receive—from ED.
The allocated amount awarded by the Department of Ed to HACS was $22,522 of which $11,261 will go to on campus students who experienced sudden disruption. Those students in our online programs are not eligible due to no disruption in their mode of delivery.
3. The total amount of emergency grants distributed to students as of the posting/submission date.
The total amount of emergency grants distributed as of 8/24/20 is $9,756.
4. The estimated number of students eligible to participate in the emergency grant program (the number of Title IV eligible students under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act).
The estimated number of students eligible to participate in the emergency grant program is 17.
5. The total number of students who have received emergency grants under the CARES Act.
The total number of students who have received the emergency grants as of 8/24/20 is 10
The total number of students who have declined the emergency grants as of 8/24/20 is 3
The total number of students who have not responded as of 8/24/20 is 4.
6. The method(s) used to determine which students received the emergency grants and how much they received.
The method used to determine which students received the emergency grants was to adhere to the requirement that our oncampus students be Title IV eligible under Section 484 of the HEA.
The method of how much they received in the first Award Offers was to divide both undergrad and graduate students into two categories: full time and less than full time. Then using the Pell Chart schedule to assign the full time students the maximum amount of the lowest cell $775 and the less than full time students were assigned half that amount or $388.
The second Award Offer was based on need according to the FAFSA. Students were sent another Award Offer acknowledging that they still had needs according to the criteria previously established. The first checks of this second wave commenced on 7/22/20.
7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided to students concerning the emergency grants.
Students who had not submitted a FAFSA had to self attest to eligibility in the first letter issued 5/15. As these letters were returned, the Award Offer was issued with the initial awarded amount. The student again needed to self attest that they had needs that met or exceed the awarded amount related to the disruption of their classes on campus due to coronavirus including expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care. As these letters were returned the checks were issued.
As noted in #6, another Award was offered to eligible students based on need, not enrollment status, according to their FAFSA.
This Disclosure to be updated every 45 days. The next update is due on October 8, 2020.
August 2020 Newsletter
August 2020 Newsletter Now Available
The August 2020 Holy Apostles College & Seminary is now available.
Read about the Growth at Holy Apostles, Recent Publications, Alumni News, and more!
July 10: CARES Act Emergency Grants to Students – Disclosure per the Department of Education
1. An acknowledgement that the school signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and the assurance that the institution used—or intends to use—at least 50 percent of the Cares Act funds received for emergency grants to students.
HACS has signed and returned the Certification and Agreement and will use at least 50% of the Cares Act funds received for emergency grants to students.
2. The total amount of funds a school received—or will receive—from ED.
The allocated amount awarded by the Department of Ed to HACS was $22,522 of which $11,261 will go to on campus students who experienced sudden disruption. Those students in our online programs are not eligible due to no disruption in their mode of delivery.
3. The total amount of emergency grants distributed to students as of the posting/submission date.
The total amount of emergency grants distributed as of 7/10/20 is $6,201.
4. The estimated number of students eligible to participate in the emergency grant program (the number of Title IV eligible students under Section 484 of the Higher Education Act).
The estimated number of students eligible to participate in the emergency grant program is 17.
5. The total number of students who have received emergency grants under the CARES Act.
The total number of students who have received the emergency grants as of 7/10/20 is 9
The total number of students who have declined the emergency grants as of 7/10/20 is 3
The total number of students who have not responded as of 7/10/20 is 5.
6. The method(s) used to determine which students received the emergency grants and how much they received.
The method used to determine which students received the emergency grants was to adhere to the requirement that our oncampus students be Title IV eligible under Section 484 of the HEA.
The method of how much they received was to divide both undergrad and graduate students into two categories: full time and less than full time. Then using the Pell Chart schedule to assign the full time students the maximum amount of the lowest cell $775 and the less than full time students were assigned half that amount or $388.
7. Any instructions, directions, or guidance provided to students concerning the emergency grants.
Students who had not submitted a FAFSA had to self attest to eligibility in the first letter issued 5/15. As these letters are returned, the 2nd letter was issued with the awarded amount. The student again needs to self attest that they have needs that meet or exceed the awarded amount related to the disruption of their classes on campus due to coronavirus including expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care. As these letters are returned the checks will be issued.
This Disclosure to be updated every 45 days. The next update is due on August 24, 2020.
Growth at Holy Apostles
There is great news indeed – hot off the presses! – from Bob Mish, our Associate Director of Admissions at Holy Apostles:
“I am thrilled to report that compared to our Summer 2019 online learning student and course enrollment totals, the number of students enrolled in our Summer 2020 online courses has gone from 422 to 485, an increase of 15%. More importantly, compared to the Summer 2019, our online learning course enrollment total has gone from 634 to 821, a huge increase of 29%!”
Over the past 10 years, Bob Mish’s carefully documented yearly enrollment summaries provide even more astounding numbers and statistics:
- the total number of online students enrolled over the past 10 years has increased from 144 to 485 students, an increase of + 237 %; and
- the number of online course enrollments over the same past 10 years has surged from 202 to 821 online course enrollments, an increase of +306%!
Numbers do not lie, and these great statistics are proof positive that online learning at Holy Apostles is growing by leaps and bounds and meeting the needs and the aspirations of hundreds of online undergraduate and graduate students who are serious about becoming “Leaders for Evangelization.”
These statistics are even more impressive when compared with so many other colleges and universities that are struggling with their own enrollment numbers.
On February 24, 2020, The Chronicle of Higher Education published a feature article titled, “At the Precipice: 6 in 10 Colleges Say They Missed Fall Enrollment Goals.” Their article further stated, “[a]bout two-thirds fell short of net-revenue targets.” Many colleges are hurting and on the verge of closing.
Holy Apostles’ Fall online student enrollment numbers, however, were up by +8%, and our Fall online course enrollment numbers were also up by 17%!
Holy Apostles is dedicated to providing our students with faithful, flexible, and exceptionally affordable online undergraduate and graduate degree programs that are second to none for their fidelity to the Magisterium as well as for their academic excellence. We are proud to be recommended by the Newman Guide.
Spread the Good News! There is still time to apply for the Fall of 2020!
Please contact the Admissions Office today at: admissions@holyapostles.edu
Into the Deep – MAPS Newsletter
The summer edition of the MAPS newsletter, Into the Deep, is now available for those who wish to peruse it.
COVID19 Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Campus Open to the Public?
Campus Access – The Campus is ONLY open to resident students. This includes but is not limited to the Dining Hall, Chapel, and Library.
Is the Commencement Ceremony/Graduation Postponed?
Updated Tuesday, March 31st
Dear Family of Holy Apostles College and Seminary:
After careful consideration and after hearing from you, our students, we have decided to postpone graduation to a later date not canceling it altogether or live-streaming it. We understand how important this time is for you, our graduates.
Unfortunately, we are not sure when this will be, as things are ever-changing due to the Coronavirus. As things become more clear we will communicate with our graduates the information we have. We thank those of you who wrote to us with your concerns about graduation. Your comments and concerns allowed us to better discern about graduation.
Please be assured of our prayers for you and your families.
United in the Lord Jesus,
Fr Peter S. Kucer, M.S.A. S.T.D.
President-Rector
Is the Gratitude Gala Postponed?
The Gratitude Gala – The HACS Gratitude Gala scheduled for April 24th has been postponed. Please watch for information on a future date.
Are Online Students' Schedules Affected?
Online Students – Your courses will take place as scheduled.
If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact Jennie Murphy at jmurphy@holyapostles.edu