Nearly 32,000 students get pandemic aid

Tens of thousands of students at central Ohio colleges whose lives were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic have received millions of dollars in emergency financial aid grants through the spring and summer.

Nearly 32,000students at local higher education institutions applied for and received emergency grants made available through the CARES Act earlier this year, according to university officials and CARES Act funding reports.

That includes students at Capital University, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus State Community College,

Denison University, Franklin University, Ohio Dominican University, Ohio State University, Ohio University, Ohio Wesleyan University and Otterbein University.

In total, those colleges and universities have distributed more than $31 million to students so far.

Ohio higher education institutions were awarded $388 million in emergency coronavirus relief funds this spring under the federal CARES Act. Colleges and universities were required to direct at least half of that money toward emergency financial aid grants to students facing financial hardships because of the pandemic.

Grant amounts vary by institution and student, but at local colleges and universities, the awards have ranged from $100 to $1,800 per student.

Students at some local universities and colleges, including Otterbein, Ohio Dominican, Denison and CCAD, have depleted those available funds – in some cases, very quickly. Ohio Dominican, for example, had distributed all of its $593,263 available for student aid to 437 students by May 22.

But others still have money available for students, even as a new school year gets underway.

Ohio State still has $4.5 million in student aid available through the CARES Act, university spokesman Ben Johnson said. That money is available to undergraduate, graduate and professional students “who are struggling with living expenses or facing other unexpected financial challenges related to the disruption of campus operations due to this pandemic, including expenses such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care,” according to Ohio State’s financial aid website.

Columbus State Community College has distributed about $4.2 million in CARES Act funding to students, and another $500,000 has been applied for but not yet disbursed, said spokesman David Wayne.

That leaves the community college with another $1.5 million in student aid still available. The college expects that amount to be given out during the first several weeks of its autumn semester, Wayne said.

Ohio University has distributed most of the $9.7 million in student relief funds that it received through the CARES Act, but reserved more than $1.3 million for students enrolled in the fall semester. The fall application window has closed, and remaining funds will be awarded within in the next week or so, said Ohio University spokeswoman Carly Leatherwood.

“Our focus will be on students with the highest financial need and for technology-related expenses,” Leatherwood said in a written statement.

In addition to the direct funds granted to colleges by the CARES Act, the Ohio Controlling Board also approved an additional $200 million in federal CARES Act funds to public and private universities and colleges in July. That money is to help ensure safety on college campuses this fall and help higher education institutions comply with public health measures.

Here’s a look at the emergency aid that local universities have distributed to students, according to their most recent required CARES Act reporting or from university or college officials:

•Capital University: $791,200 distributed among 419 students; $451,800 remaining

•Columbus College of Art & Design: $584,466 distributed among 736 students; none remaining

•Columbus State Community College: $4.2 million distributed among 3,432 students; $500,000 applied for but not yet been disbursed; $1.5 million remaining

•Denison University: $883,012 distributed among 1,102 students; none remaining

•Franklin University: $256,740 distributed among 215 students; $166,234 remaining

•Ohio Dominican University: $593,263 distributed among 437 students; none remaining

•Ohio State University: $16.9 million distributed to 15,141 students; about $4.5 million remaining

•Ohio University: $8.4 million distributed among 8,117 students; $1.3 million to be distributed in the coming weeks

•Ohio Wesleyan University: At least $545,215 distributed among more than 1,360 students as of late July; remaining funds to be distributed among students in upcoming weeks.

•Otterbein University: $1.1 million distributed among 995 students; none remaining. jsmola@dispatch.com @jennsmola