received financial aid as a result of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 rescue package and other relief funds. This assistance has allowed millions of students to continue their education despite the pandemic.
The study, which was acquired by USA TODAY and is scheduled to be made public on Wednesday, comes at a time when the Supreme Court will soon consider the future of a separate case brought forth by President Joe Biden that attempted to cancel student loan debt for millions of college students.
Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF, was given a historic injection of money as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021. This infusion of money provided $40 billion for the nation’s schools and universities.
According to the statistics provided by the Education Department, by the end of 2022, about 90 percent of the 5,000 educational institutions that were awarded extra financing from the HEERF had used up their allotment.
The funds might be used toward any item that is directly tied to a student’s ability to attend colleges, such as food, housing, mental health care, or childcare costs.
According to the research, in the year 2021 alone, educational institutions such as colleges and universities distributed $19.5 billion in emergency financial aid to 12.7 million students. Approximately eighty percent of applicants with modest incomes were awarded a Pell Grant.
On Wednesday, the announcement of the data’s public release is scheduled to be made by First Lady Jill Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
The Biden administration said on Monday that it intends to terminate both the COVID-19 national emergency as well as the public health emergency in May. This will result in a restructuring of how the federal government will react to the epidemic, which is approaching its fourth year.
