International Students to be Eligible for US COVID-19 Emergency Grants

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Subhashri Roy
Updated on May 31, 2021 01:32 PM IST

The US Department of Education has announced emergency grants worth more than $36 billion to help over 5,000 HEIs in the US and offer emergency relief to international students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

International Students to be Eligible for US COVID-19 Emergency Grants

In a bid to help over 5,000 HEIs in the US, the US Department of Education has announced emergency grants worth more than $36 billion for postsecondary education, which have been opened for international students for the first time.

These grants will double the emergency relief aid already available to students and institutions under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) relief legislation and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES).

Miguel Cardona, US Secretary of Education, said these funds will ensure that those students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will have the opportunity to apply, continue their studies, graduate and find jobs.

Also Read: QS USA University Rankings 2021 Released; Harvard, UC Berkeley Among Top 10

This action will allow thousands of US institutions to provide direct relief to most-affected students, which will help them recover from the pandemicand go back to normalcy.

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These funds can also be used for initiatives to retain and reengage students through mental health and virtual projects. However, half of the projects should be aimed at providing direct relief to not just international students but also DACA residents and US students who want to study abroad.

The department said that priority while allocating this funding will, however, be given to domestic students especially at the undergraduate level.

Also Read: Wage-Based Allocation of H-1B Visas to Impact International Students: Study

Executive director of the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, Miriam Feldblum said that the updated guidance to include international students regardless of their immigration status is 'welcomed news'.

Deputy executive director, public policy at NAFSA, Jill Allen Murray applauded the Biden administration for letting all students have access to these funds based not on their country of origin but on their financial need.

Justin Drager, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, pointed out that denying these grants to DACA and undocumented students was both 'legally questionable'and a 'moral failing'.

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