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Central Texas schools to receive $84M in federal grants to help with COVID-19 response, says Sen. Cornyn

By Elizabeth Evans
Published  April 14, 2020 5:37pm CDT
John Cornyn
FOX 7 Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Several schools in Central Texas will receive just over $84 million in federal grants to help with their COVID-19 response, says Sen. John Cornyn.

The funding comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund which was authorized by the CARES Act. At least 50 percent of each grant must go to providing students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to COVID-19.

The CARES Act allows each school discretion in deciding how the assistance will be awarded to students.

RELATED: LIST: Central Texas schools, colleges, universities coronavirus resources

"No Texan should have to give up their education because of the economic effects of the coronavirus," said Cornyn in a release.  "In addition to allowing students to defer their federal student loan payments for six months, the CARES Act provides targeted funding to Texas institutions to help students continue their education - even if that means taking classes online."

RELATED: TIMELINE: Texas' continued response to COVID-19 pandemic

The amounts for the Central Texas schools are as follows:

  • Austin Community College: $13,907,800 ($6,953,900 for student aid)
  • Huston-Tillotson University: $1,630,192 ($815,096 for student aid)
  • St. Edward's University: $4,142,345 ($2,071,173 for student aid)
  • University of Texas at Austin: $31,462,321 ($15,731,161 for student aid)
  • Southwestern University: $1,213,449 ($606,725 for student aid)
  • Texas State University: $31,791,509 ($15,895,755 for student aid.

In total, Texas colleges and universities received more than $1 billion of the $14 billion made available in the CARES Act.

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