Education Institutions Receive Flexible Funding Under Biden Administration

Through the $1.9 T stimulus fund that Congress passed via a reconciliation process, Biden’s administration will allocate $35 billion to education institutions. President Biden will make good on his promise to the community colleges and the minority-serving institutions like the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

 

Additionally, part of the allocation includes supplementary support to students in the amount $1,700 in financial aid in meeting their college expenses. Actually, the $900 billion COVID-19 relief fund approved by the Trump administration last December includes funding for financial assistance to students currently enrolled in higher education levels.

December Coronavirus Relief Fund is Now Available

According to the Education Department the $21.2 billion relief included in the $900 billion COVID-19 relief is now available to higher education students seeking for financial assistance.

As opposed to the previous grants under the CARES ACT, the $21.2 billion fund qualifies more students in becoming eligible to receive emergency student grants. Even universities and colleges will have greater flexibility on how they could spend their respective grant money.

However, it is not sure whether undocumented students are now eligible since they have been disqualified to receive help under the previous administration.

ACE senior VP Terry Hartle and Justin Draeger, president of the NASFAA, under the previous CARES Act, undocumented students not eligible to receive student grants from the CARES Act. Based on their analysis of current guidelines released by the Education Department, there is still no mention whether undocumented students are qualified or not.

Under farmer Education Department Secretary, Betsy Devos, the Education Department insisted that undocumented students did not migrate legally. That being the case, they remain disqualified from receiving andy federal aid in accordance with the federal law.