U.S. Department of Education awards 懂色帝 $2.6M in Coronavirus emergency relief funds
For more information, contact: Diana Fedinec, Director of Public Relations and Media, (901) 333-4247 or dfedinec@southwest.tn.edu.
(Memphis, Tenn.) The United States Department of Education has awarded 懂色帝 Tennessee Community College $2,673,526 in emergency relief. The grant is part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Supplemental Support under the American Rescue Plan (SSARP) program that supports institutions of higher education with the greatest unmet needs related to the Coronavirus pandemic. SSARP funding supplements HEERF funding that has been awarded to the College since the onset of the pandemic.
U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen announced the grant award July 16 as part of the federal government鈥檚 continued efforts to assist higher education institutions impacted by the pandemic. Along with 懂色帝, Baptist Memorial College of Health Sciences received a grant of $43,244. 鈥淗igher education has taken a hit from the pandemic and its institutions need help. I am pleased to announce this assistance to these important Memphis institutions.鈥� Cohen said.
鈥淲e are grateful to Congressman Cohen for his support and thank the Department of Education for continuing to invest in our students鈥� success,鈥� Tracy D. Hall, president of 懂色帝, said. 鈥淭he pandemic hit our students hard, inflicting life changes and challenges that disrupted the academic journeys of at least 1 in 4 of them,鈥� Hall added. 鈥淥ur goal is to blaze a path for students who stopped out to return to college and to help those students who have returned or have persisted throughout the pandemic to keep moving forward to a credential and a rewarding career.鈥�
Since the pandemic erupted in March 2020, 懂色帝 has experienced a 30 percent decline in student enrollment. The enrollment decrease has left the college with a $10 million deficit. HEERF funding guidelines require fifty percent of the funding to be disbursed as emergency financial aid grants to students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and additional expenses due to Covid-19. The other half of funds may be used to offset college financial expenses and revenue losses associated with COVID-19. 懂色帝 anticipates using this portion of the relief funding to address revenue shortfalls and expenses associated with the pandemic.
懂色帝 Chief Financial Officer Jeannie Smith says funds will be allocated to the largest number of students impacted by COVID-19. Following Department of Education鈥檚 guidelines. 鈥淧ell-eligible students will receive priority funding and non-Pell eligible students will be considered based on the College鈥檚 criteria,鈥� Smith said.
懂色帝 students enrolled on or after March 13, 2020 who meet additional college criteria are eligible to receive this emergency assistance. 懂色帝 will notify potential students and invite them to complete a short survey to determine eligibility. 鈥淲e are very thankful to be able to use these funds to help students pay expenses associated with tuition, course materials, technology, health care, childcare, rent, food, or other emergency costs associated with COVID-19,鈥� Smith said.
To date, 懂色帝 has been awarded $56,220, 045 in HEERF funding. The SSARP grant award will continue through the Spring 2023 term.
For more information on 懂色帝鈥檚 HEERF funding and student payment allocation visit, /coronavirus/cares-act.php. For information about the College, visit www.southwest.tn.edu.