NEWS

Tech awards more than 3,100 CARES grants worth $1.6 million — and counting

May 20, 2020 | Alumni, Faculty/Staff, General News, Students

Since early May, Louisiana Tech has awarded more than 3,100 CARES Act grants totaling $1.6 million to students who have experienced economic hardship as a result of the disruption of campus operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 4,500 Tech students have applied for the relief funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed by Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and signed into law March 27. This federal legislation provides financial support to students who qualify.

“Our staff members in the Official of Financial Aid continue to process applications efficiently with the goal of quickly distributing the funds to all in-need students who qualify,” said Tech President Dr. Les Guice. “They are committed to our mission throughout this crisis, which has been to ensure our Tech Family is healthy and safe and that our students continue to pursue their academic goals successfully. Their work on the CARES Act grants is providing incredible support for our students.”

A number of Louisiana Tech students have also completed the supplemental portion of the application, meaning they requested additional funding for high-cost expenditures or special circumstances and submitted supporting documents for these requests. The University continues to process those applications as quickly as possible.

“Our faculty and staff have worked diligently to ensure our students would be among the first in the state and nation to receive CARES Act assistance,” said Dr. Dickie Crawford, Associate Vice President for Student Advancement. “We look forward to seeing the impact that these funds will continue to make for our students, even into the summer quarter.”

Louisiana Tech will also be able to offer CARES Act grants of at least $200 each to qualified students who enroll in summer courses; those will be disbursed beginning the week of June 8 after enrollment in the Summer Quarter has been verified. These funds are in addition to the special scholarships of $200 for full-time graduate and undergraduate students who choose to take summer courses.

For more information, visit the University’s COVID-19 site at latech.edu/coronavirus.