By Michelle Price
Special to the UCBJ
WASHINGTON – Sen. Lamar Alexander’s office has confirmed that 127 colleges and universities across the state will receive $237 million in emergency funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, including nine in the Upper Cumberland receiving $10,747,572.
“I gave my team a charge as soon as the CARES Act was signed into law: get support to those most in need as quickly as possible. That starts with college students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet,” said Betsy DeVos, U.S. Secretary of Education, in a letter to the college and university presidents.
The emergency funding is designated to provide emergency financial aid grants to students for expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to coronavirus including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care.
The funding was allocated to schools using a formula based on student enrollment. Each recipient must sign a certification that the school will use no less than fifty percent of the funds received to provide direct student grants.
Each school will be developing its own system and process for allocating these funds. Students are advised to contact their school for more information.
| Allocations for Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act | |
| Tennessee Technological University | $4,356,732.00 |
| Volunteer State Community College | $2,344,545.00 |
| Roane State Community College | $1,657,191.00 |
| Motlow State Community College | $1,589,392.00 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Crossville | $249,955.00 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston | $239,885.00 |
| Genesis Career College | $239,885.00 |
| Tennessee College of Applied Technology–McMinnville | $115,449.00 |
| Mister Wayne’s School of Unisex Hair Design | $ 164,138.00 |
| TOTAL | $ 10,747,572.00 |
