Jordan Coll/ News Director & Valentina Palm/ Editor-In-Chief
The university expects “to receive millions in federal aid” from the second federal stimulus package approved yesterday by Congress.
FIU President Mark Rosenberg wrote, in an email titled “Millions in federal aid coming in the spring,” that once the $900 billion dollar stimulus package is signed by President Donald Trump, the university will receive funds to grant students more financial aid.
The funds also help the university cover losses generated by the pandemic.
The stimulus package will be similar to the CARES Act, signed off nine months ago on March 27, 2020, that distributed over $14 billion among colleges nationwide. This time, $22.7 billion will be given to public and private higher education institutions, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The CARES Act Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), provides funding to institutions for emergency financial aid grants to students facing financial loss.
In March, FIU received over $38 million from the CARES Act. Half, or $19 million, went to emergency financial grants for 9,549 students, and the remainder covered costs from the “disruption of campus operations,” such as food, housing, and technology, according to the University’s latest audit and compliance report.
It is still unknown how much FIU will receive from the CARES Act for the spring semester or how much will go towards student emergency financial grants but, according to Rosenberg’s email, the federal funds “will provide FIU with the ability to help students whose lives and education have been affected by COVID-19.
“We know there’s great need in our community and that is why we are working hard to ensure our students get the assistance they need. The success of our students is our top priority. No Panther is ever left behind, and at FIU we will do everything we can to ensure our students’ needs are met, especially during this pandemic,” read Rosenberg’s email to the FIU community.
Students who are enrolled can apply for the direct financial aid grant here.
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