To provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress enacted a series of laws and injected about $4.6 trillion into the U.S. economy. Of this amount, more than $75 billion was directed to institutions of higher education through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds. These funds were intended to serve two main purposes: (1) to provide emergency aid directly to students facing financial challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) to ensure that institutions of higher education could continue serving students in the midst of unforeseen disruptions.
This report from the Community College Research Center provides a first look at how much funding was awarded to and spent by the nation’s community colleges between March 2020 and February 28, 2023.