UTRGV will receive $34 million in financial support from the U.S. Department of Education, according to an announcement by the Office of the President’s website. The U.S. Department of Education’s website states that Congress will aid around $14 billion through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to support institutions of higher education.
The website states the purpose of the CARES Act is to provide “resources and flexibility” for students during these “challenging times” through a Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
Associate Vice President for the University Marketing and Communications, Patrick Gonzales says UTRGV has two main goals during this health crisis.
UTRGV is really focused on two main goals for our students during this current health crisis, the first one is safety, we want to make sure our students are safe… and the second is success, we want our students to continue being successful.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund includes guidelines posted on their website regarding the administration of the fund.
Examples are to focus fifty percent on providing emergency financial aid for students, while restricting its use to buy technology hardware and for salary use to student employees.
As for UTRGV’s plan, their website states that the university will be directing “roughly three-quarters of these funds to directly support students.”
The other quarter will be distributed to infrastructure needs and to the UTRGV School of Medicine “to support some of the costs of the pandemic;”
Chemistry Freshman, Mario Perez says the university has always supported their students.
I feel they are very supportive to provide us with financial support, and especially during these hard times, the university has always supported their students…
UTRGV website states that the Summer Relief Program is an example of how the university will use the CARES Act funding.
Gonzales says UTRGV is waiting to receive the funds.
We haven’t received the fund yet, you have to apply for them, and our application was submitted and we are just waiting to receive those funds…
With the CARES Act allowing more students to receive financial aid, UTRGV states that they are expecting an increase in student enrollment.
Reporter Victor Rivero
