Emergency aid for students is crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, but some of the most vulnerable students are being overlooked.
Congress has allocated $6.28 billion in emergency grants to college students as part of “phase three” of its Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The purpose is to help students overcome challenges arising from COVID-19. These funds are meant to help students address issues such as food and housing insecurity and assist them in staying on track with their education.
However, some students will not get the help they need because of restrictions in the CARES Act as well as the method of allocation. A recent report by The Century Foundation, “How Colleges Can Address Equity with CARES Act Emergency Student Aid,” examines some of the issues.
Peter Granville, author of the report and senior policy associate at The Century Foundation, noted that the $6.28 billion from the CARES Act would divide out to approximately $281 per student in headcount enrollment. However, the formula that determines what each institution will receive favors institutions with more full-time than part-time students and more Pell grant recipients.
The report indicates that not all high-need students receive Pell grants, which can be due to non-completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. By their very nature, community colleges enroll many students with great financial and educational needs, but there tend to be more part-time than full-time students. Granville’s general calculation is that community colleges will see around $187 per student versus $337 per student at a public four-year institution.
“This compounds the existing disparity in resources,” said Granville. “This is just another instance of what has always been true, which is community colleges get the short end of the stick.”
Granville began work on the report in early April. He had previously interviewed students about the life-changing impact of emergency aid and saw that, in a crisis, even a relatively nominal amount can positively impact someone’s ability to succeed in school.
