ESCC/AAC students to receive more stimulus funds
Enterprise State Community College and Alabama Aviation College students will soon receive more stimulus funds for attending college classes.
This will be the third disbursement of federal dollars to students enrolled in classes at ESCC. To date, the College has distributed $1.2 million dollars to students through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was originally signed into law on March 27, 2020.
In addition to disbursing funds to students, previous disbursements to the College were also used to purchase technology to assist faculty, staff, and students to the total transition to online learning in 2020, such as laptops for the College’s Laptop Loaner Program, as well as safety equipment for both campuses.
“These CARES funds are dollars going back to the colleges to benefit students in different ways,” ESCC President Matt Rodgers said. “These funds are there to personally help students overcome hardships created by the pandemic so they aren’t having to put their education on hold, and they allow us as a college to make our campus an environment for our students to safely learn and train.”
For the 2021-22 academic year, ESCC will receive approximately $2.3 million in CARES Act grant funds. The $2.3 million will be fully distributed to eligible ESCC/AAC students. Students attending classes during the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 semesters who qualify under the federal program are eligible to receive a disbursement.
The final amount to be received by students for the 2021-22 academic year will not be determined until enrollment numbers are finalized each semester. These dollars are intended to help students with technology, course material, health care and childcare costs as well as other essential college needs.
Students are urged to sign up for a direct deposit to receive this payment quicker. Students may receive the funds by mail or through direct deposit. To ensure that funds are correctly distributed, students are asked to log into their MyESCC account and verify that all mailing and banking information is up to date.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to provide additional financial support to students during this difficult time,” Mathis said. “Many of our students and their families have experienced significant financial setbacks as a result of the pandemic. Our hope is that the stimulus grants will enable our students to continue their education at ESCC in the fall.”
Registration for the fall semester is still happening at ESCC and AAC. For individuals interested in attending classes in the fall who have not applied, the College’s free application can be found at escc.edu/apply. To register for the fall semester, students can visit escc.edu/registration and follow the steps to register.