WASHINGTON, D.C. – CCRI will receive $38 million of $178 million American Rescue Plan aid to Rhode Island, the state’s Congressional delegation announced.
U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressmen Jim Langevin and David Cicilline today announced 13 of Rhode Island’s institutions of higher learning will be receiving more than $178 million in emergency funding from the American Rescue Plan Act. At least 50 percent of the funding will be used for emergency financial aid for students, many of whom have dealt with hunger, homelessness, or other challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For Rhode Island’s students, the last two school years have been unlike any other. This pandemic has disrupted in-person learning, brought unexpected economic hardship, and threatened the health of thousands of students and their families. Rhode Island’s schools also deserve a lot of credit for housing frontline workers and taking measures to avoid staff layoffs,” said Rep. Jim Langevin. “I’m proud of our work in Congress to recognize the urgency of this moment and deliver millions of dollars in relief for Rhode Island’s schools and students. As we emerge from this pandemic, making sure that our students have the necessary resources to complete their educations will be key towards our shared goal of building our economy back better.”
In total, the American Rescue Plan is distributing $36 billion to nearly 3,500 public and private, nonprofit colleges and universities nationwide.
“We must ensure that colleges and universities have the resources to help students continue their education. Many students have struggled with their or their family’s health, housing, and navigating the challenges of remote education and returning to campus. These are critical investments in the education of American college students and in our colleges and universities here in Rhode Island. This federal funding will benefit our economy and communities for many years to come,” said Sen. Reed.
“This investment in higher education will ease the pandemic’s financial burden on Rhode Island’s colleges and universities – especially our public institutions – and allow students to safely return to campus in the fall,” said Sen. Whitehouse. “A significant portion of this American Rescue Plan funding will go toward direct financial aid, helping students overcome the disruptions of the past year and stay on track to earn a degree.”
“Rhode Island’s colleges and universities are second to none. As we continue to crush the virus, we need to make sure they have the resources to safely bring students back to campus this fall,” said Rep. Cicilline. “This critical funding will not only help them do that, it will also benefit students who have suffered hunger, homelessness, and other challenges as a result of the pandemic. This will make a real difference for a lot of Rhode Islanders.”
The full list of colleges and universities receiving funding are:
- Community College of Rhode Island: $38,424,959
- University of Rhode Island: $31,102,250
- Rhode Island College: $21,305,056
- Brown University: $12,594,444
- New England Institute of Technology: $10,528,235
- Roger Williams University: $7,117,870
- Providence College: $6,847,188
- Bryant University: $5,541,508
- Salve Regina University: $4,209,958
- Rhode Island School of Design: $3,731,814
- IYRS School of Technology & Trades: $118,675
- College Unbound: $83,710
- Johnson & Wales University (which has over 10,000 students at campuses in Providence, RI and Charlotte, NC): $37,164,237
Students should contact their institutions for more information about how they can apply for an emergency grant.
Author: Warwick Post Staff
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