New Grant for Colleges Affected by COVID-19

A new grant program from the U.S. Department of Education could help colleges and universities resume operations and reduce disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Institutional Resilience and Expanded Postsecondary Opportunity Grant Program Competition is available for institutions with the greatest unmet needs related to the pandemic. Colleges will get special consideration for the grant funding if they:

• provide dual enrollment opportunities to students in rural areas or Opportunity Zones and plan to expand those opportunities;
• are historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges or minority-serving institutions, or if they are developing institutions eligible to participate in Title III or Title V programs;
• are committed to creating more resilient delivery models for instruction, like distance learning.

The grants can be used to resume operations, develop new delivery models for students who don't wish to return to campus, support students or reduce transmission of the virus.