CARES Act rules stay in place

Undocumented students ineligible for virus relief funds

When CARES Act funding for higher education was doled out, Connecticut officials held out hope that a provision barring undocumented students from getting the money would be reversed.

On Thursday, those hopes were dashed when the U.S. Department of Education released a rule to ensure taxpayer-funded coronavirus relief money does not go to foreign nationals, non-citizens and

students who may be enrolled in ineligible education programs.

“This rule simply ensures the continuity of that well-established policy,” U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a statement. “As I’ve said since the law passed, my first goal was to get these funds to eligible students in need as quickly as possible. Today’s action helps erase any uncertainty some institutions have expressed and helps make sure we can support America’s students facing the greatest needs.”

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security

(CARES) Act provided $133.9 million to Connecticut’s 63 colleges and universities. At least half was to be allocated to students for emergency cash grants related to campus operations because of the coronavirus. Nearly all campuses shut down in March and remained closed for the semester, leaving students learning remotely.

At the time, Mark Ojakian, president of the Connecticut State College and University system, called the restriction “unconscionable” and wrote to DeVos in hopes the decision would be reversed.

“Without warning ... the Department of Education released guidance last week severely restricting

which students are eligible to receive CARES Act payments,” Ojakian said at the time.

On Friday, Ojakian said at every turn throughout this pandemic, DeVos has gone out of her way to prevent the most vulnerable students – those who need it the most – from receiving the funding necessary to continue their studies.

“This latest rule will disproportionately harm low-income students and students of color, exacerbating structural societal inequities,” Ojakian said.

Already, the CSCU system has paid back $24.1 million in refunds between the four universities. Payments were based on the number of credits students were taking this

spring. At the community colleges, about $1 million was turned back to students, with individual grants amounting to about $350.

At the University of Connecticut, CARES funds were not set aside for undocumented students because of the U.S. Department of Education guidance issued in April.

“Instead, UConn utilized institutional funds to award emergency grants to eligible undocumented aid applicants in alignment with the same criteria and amounts used for distribution of actual CARES Act grants,” said Michael Enright, a UConn spokesman.

lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck