Funds came from $2.4 million received in April from Government as Yavapai Community College’s portion of the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES)
In May 2020, Yavapai Community College received almost $2.4 million from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. The Relief Fund was authorized as part of the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, called the CARES Act.
In the Student Development, Monthly Board Highlights, January 2021 Edition, news posting, the Financial Aid Office announced it had distributed 2,059 CARES emergency grants for a total of $969,369 to Yavapai Community College students since April, 2020. This apparently exhausts this part of the funds that came via the CARES Act.
In its post, the Office provided a sampling of the type of response it had received from grantees for providing the financial help. The note from a student read as follows:
“Thank you so much. I swear I saw this and almost started crying. I’ve been living pay check to pay check. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to afford school next semester but this is such a huge help. I can’t even explain how much this means to me. I’m just so relieved. I was short on rent and my baby was born premature so I had to take time off as well and that was going to make things even harder. I can’t even begin to explain. I’m so happy!”
Recall President Lisa Rhine announced on April 21 that the $2.4 million received from the CARES Act would be used for three purposes: First, students who may have taken face-to-face classes in the spring and were affected by COVID-19 could apply for the summer term and receive six tuition free credits. A second portion of the funds was put into the student emergency fund. Finally, in her April 21 and 23 updates, Dr. Rhine said that Yavapai Community College leadership decided that the “other half” of funds, which is earmarked for “operational losses during the pandemic,” was to be used primarily as an innovation grant for faculty and staff to support online remote delivery to students.
The decision to apply the money as outlined by Dr. Rhine is in accord with the Federal Guidelines for distribution of CARES funds. The Community College, of course, must follow the guidelines.