Hundreds of ECC Students Receive Emergency Financial Aid
Spring semester East Central College students received a total of $825,515 in emergency federal financial aid funds to ease the impact COVID-19 had on them.
There were 652 students who each received between $830 to $1685, depending on their financial aid status., through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act.
The CRRSA Act provided the funding for students to help ease any financial burden because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students can use the funding for many reasons, including emergency costs that arise due to the coronavirus, as well as food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or childcare.
“It’s important for us to distribute this money to our students, while many of them are taking classes, they are also working part-time or full-time,” said Dr. Jon Bauer, ECC president. “COVID-19 has affected each of them in different ways, and the funding will help alleviate some financial stress.”
The college also has $3,115,247 in emergency student financial aid funding provided through the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP). The ARP funding will be distributed to students during the upcoming academic year.
“We are waiting for some guidance to determine what time during the upcoming year that students would be eligible to receive the financial aid funds,” says Dr. Bauer.
Last October $825,587 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act dollars were disbursed to a group of eligible 2020 fall semester students. Overall, East Central College received a total of $4,766,569 in emergency student financial aid awards.