Here’s how much money some Fresno City College students will get from coronavirus funds
Some Fresno City College students will get up to $600 in federal COVID-19 emergency money under a distribution plan released by President Carole Goldsmith to The Bee on Wednesday.
When President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in late March, about $6 billion was earmarked for direct relief grants for college students, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Over 16,400 students enrolled this spring will receive a grant from the $11 million Fresno City will receive for direct student aid.
Although colleges have yet to see the money, officials are planning on how they will distribute it when it comes.
At Fresno City, low-income, full-time students who are eligible for a Pell grant will receive $600.
Low-income Pell-grant eligible students taking three-quarters of a full-time load will get $450, half-time students will get $300, and those with fewer than six units will get $175.
The college is planning to distribute the money in tiers.
The second tier is for students who have filled out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid — known as FAFSA — but do not qualify for a Pell grant. Full-time students will receive $350, three-quarter-time students $300, half-time $250 and less-than-half-time $150. Those amounts are the same for students who did not fill out an application but live in zip codes identified as low-income.
Students who have not filled out an application or who are not identified as low-income will get $150.
The U.S. Department of Education released guidelines signaling that undocumented students would not be eligible for the funds. Neither are employees of the college nor those who were already taking only online classes before the pandemic.
The grants are supposed to be used for course materials, food, childcare and housing for students who were attending classes before the coronavirus pandemic shut down campuses in March.
Goldsmith said the plan “represents a thoughtful approach” by faculty and administration to help students.
Other colleges, such as Fresno State, have yet to release their plans.