RIVERSIDE— Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside) announced on ?? ??? ?? ??April 13 that colleges and universities in Riverside County would receive more than $54 million in emergency funding as a result of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which Congress passed on March 27.
At least half of the funding each institution receives will be distributed to students in the form of emergency cash assistance grants to help pay for housing, food, and other basic essentials.
“Students have been sheltering in place, often far from loved ones, without financial security. They need relief and assistance from the federal government to support them in these uncertain times,” said Takano. “This funding is necessary to support students’ needs as they navigate the response to the coronavirus outbreak. As a former public-school teacher in a low-income community, I’ve seen the struggles students face both inside and outside of the classroom. I will keep fighting for the needs of students, families, and workers in future legislative packages.”
The colleges and universities in California’s 41stDistrict that are receiving grants and the grant amounts received are:
University of California, Riverside:$29,734,626
Cal Baptist University:$7,913,118
La Sierra University:$2,144,179
Riverside City College:$10,831,532
Moreno Valley College:$3,681,844
In total, the CARES Act provides $14 billion in emergency higher education relief funding to help students and institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Education announced that the first $6 billion of that funding will be immediately sent to institutions so that they can begin providing grants to struggling students.
The CARES Act also includes an additional $1 billion – which will be distributed at a later date – for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), other minority-serving institutions, and other under-resourced institutions.