South Florida Colleges and Universities to Receive $85 Million in Emergency COVID-19 Funding

At least half of the funding will be distributed to displaced students

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Wilson announced that colleges and universities in District 24 would receive $84,708,059 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.

In total, the CARES Act provides $14 billion in emergency higher education relief funding to help students and institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic.  On Monday, April 13, the Department of Education announced the first $6 billion of that funding will be immediately sent to institutions so they can begin providing grants to struggling students.

Students should contact their institutions for more information about how they can apply for an emergency grant.

“I am extremely pleased that these funds are being allocated to help universities and colleges make up for lost revenue following school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and especially thankful that at least half of the total allocation that each institution receives will be awarded to students,” said Congresswoman Wilson. “Having their educations and college experience disrupted is difficult enough; students should not also have to worry about food, shelter and other necessities. I hope this much-needed relief will enable all of these young people to continue their studies.”

The colleges and universities in District 24 receiving funding under the CARES Act:

Barry University                          $5,027,398       $2,513,699
Broward College                        $27,154,901       $13,577,451
Florida Memorial University    $2,154,643        $1,077,322
Miami Dade College                 $49,074,737     $24,537,369
St. Thomas University               $1,296,380           $648,190

The CARES Act also includes an additional $1 billion – which will be distributed at a later date – for historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, other minority-serving institutions, and other under-resourced institutions.

To read more about emergency education funding under the CARES Act, click here.