ED issues more COVID-19-related guidance
The U.S. Education Department on Friday released updated guidance regarding coronavirus-related flexibilities on requirements pertaining to distance education, verification, needs analysis and more. Here’s a summary from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
Governors seek stimulus funds quickly
The National Governors Association (NGA) is asking the U.S. Education Department to provide stimulus funding related to education to governors, states and higher education institutions within the next two weeks, as well as flexibility in how they use those funds.
“States need time to establish both structures to evaluate student needs and processes to rapidly deploy these funds,” NGA said in an April 3 letter to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. “That work cannot begin until the Department provides guidance about how and when it will send funding to the states. We urge the Department to act quickly to distribute these funds.”
NGA also seeks flexibility to permit governors, states and institutions the ability to reimburse costs already incurred during the COVID-19 crisis by states, local governments and higher education entities.
The president signed the CARES Act, which includes nearly $14 billion for higher education, into law on March 27. Here is an estimate of how much each community college may receive.
