U.S. Rep. Troy A. Carter announced that Louisiana’s colleges and universities received over $683 million from the Department of Education’s allocation in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan. This is one of the largest one-time infusions of funding ever provided to Louisiana’s colleges and universities, benefitting 89 institutions across the state and including $196 million for community colleges.
“Our students, colleges, and universities were hit hard by the onset of COVID-19,” Carter says. “I am proud that the American Rescue Plan not only focuses on providing direct relief to students, but that these funds have helped bring COVID safety improvements, inclusion, and innovation to 89 campuses across Louisiana – including our HBCUs and community colleges – allowing them to continue providing high-quality education to tens thousands of students.”
The American Rescue Plan provided funds through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) over the past year in the following areas nationally:
- More than $10 billion to over 1,000 community colleges
- More than $2.7 billion to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- More than $190 million to Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)
- Approximately $11 billion to Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs)
- Approximately $5 billion to Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs)
- Almost $1 billion to Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
In addition to funding provided under previous coronavirus relief legislation, these funds are already being used by colleges and universities across the country to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are already having a significant impact on institutions and students:
- A recent survey of college presidents by the American Council on Education found HEERF enabled:
- 93 percent of colleges to provide direct financial support to students at risk of dropping out
- 81 percent of colleges to keep student net prices similar to pre-pandemic levels
- 70 percent of colleges to continue to employ faculty, staff, and other employees otherwise at risk of unemployment
- 63 percent of colleges to keep students and faculty safe by purchasing COVID-19 tests, health screenings, and health care
- Thousands of colleges and universities all across the country are using HEERF to keep students enrolled and on track to graduate, as well as make college more affordable, by providing emergency grants, discharging outstanding student debt or unpaid balances, and eliminating transcript withholding practices.