Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Critical to Continued Student Success

2/3/2021

A new survey commissioned by Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) found that an overwhelming majority of respondents agreed that HEERF funds, distributed as part of the bipartisan CARES Act, have had a positive impact on students’ ability to adapt and succeed in the face of challenges associated with COVID-19. According to more than 75 percent of respondents, access to HEERF funds had a positive or extremely positive impact on:

Student ability to attend class;
Student ability to complete assignments and engage with course materials;
Instructor ability to teach effectively;
Student ability to balance work, education, and family responsibilities; and
Access to campus resources.

The survey also found that the majority of represented institutions had spent more than the mandated 50 percent of HEERF funds on emergency financial aid grants for students, and that receiving HEERF funds enabled institutions to increase support for their students in the face of unprecedented obstacles, including resources for emotional and psychological health.

“The shift to distance education has taken a significant toll on proprietary institutions and has been a source of stress for many of the sector’s nearly 2 million students,” said CECU President and CEO Dr. Jason Altmire, “Although bold action such as the CARES Act has been pivotal to alleviating the burden posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, CECU urges lawmakers to remain invested in the success of students across the nation by providing additional funding to students enrolled at proprietary institutions. These are real people with real needs. As our survey shows, it is money well spent.”

The findings are clear: Initiatives like the CARES Act enable proprietary institutions to empower their students to continue their education without sacrificing their responsibilities at work and at home. Safer on-campus environments, emergency aid to those who need it most, and access to quality distance learning resources have resulted in an increase in retention and student success. While CECU supports bold action like the CARES Act, we will continue to advocate for additional funding on behalf of private proprietary institutions and their students.

Full survey results and methodology available here.

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Please direct media inquiries to Rachel Tripp, Director of Communications, at Rachel.Tripp@career.org

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