On May 11, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) announced more than $42 million in emergency funding for colleges, universities, and students in Washington’s Sixth Congressional District under the American Rescue Plan. The funding will help local institutions cope with the severe financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue serving their students safely. At least half of the funding each institution receives will be distributed in the form of emergency cash assistance grants to students who are facing hunger, homelessness, and other hardship.
The American Rescue Plan provides$36 billion for nearly 3,500 public and private, nonprofit colleges and universities nationwide.
“New investments from the American Rescue Plan will not only provide students with critical relief so they can continue to earn an education, but also help ensure our higher education institutions can continue to prepare the workforce of tomorrow,” said Rep. Kilmer. “I’ll keep working to ensure that students and educators have the support they need as we recover from this pandemic.”
“These funds are critical to ensuring that all of our nation’s students – particularly those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – have the opportunity to enroll, continue their education, graduate, and pursue their careers,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “With this action, thousands of institutions will be able to provide direct relief to students who need it most, so we can make sure that we not only recover from the pandemic, but also build back even stronger than before.”
The colleges and universities in Washington’s 6th District receiving funding under the American Rescue Plan are:
- Bates Technical College: $5,939,991
- Grays Harbor College: $4,749,301
- Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding: $166,635
- Olympic College: $10,407,857
- Peninsula College: $4,029,615
- Tacoma Community College: $13,148,528
- University of Puget Sound: $3,753,908
Additionally, colleges and universities with campuses in Washington’s 6th District also receiving funding under the American Rescue Plan include:
- Northwest Indian College: $1,503,818
- University of Washington: $106,298,240
- Washington State University: $61,545,366
Students should contact their institutions for more information about how they can apply for an emergency grant.
The American Rescue Plan also includes nearly $3 billion in additional funding – 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.
To read more about emergency education funding under the American Rescue Plan, click here.
