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Cartwright Announces Over $19 Million for NEPA Post-Secondary Education Students Affected by COVID-19 Outbreak

Scranton, PA, April 10, 2020

 U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) today announced more than $19 million for northeastern Pennsylvania students enrolled in colleges, universities and career and technical schools whose semesters were interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak. The money comes from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, which was established by Congress under the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748).

The funds will be distributed as direct emergency cash grants through the institutions the students attend.

“Our college students paid a full semester’s worth for housing, meal plans, books and more, but only got half of a semester out of it at best,” said Rep. Cartwright, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I’m glad that help is on the way for the hardworking students who had their lives and academic careers disrupted by this pandemic.”

The following post-secondary education institutions in northeastern Pennsylvania have received emergency funds:

  • Career and Technology Center of Luzerne County: $174,002
  • CDE Career Institute: $110,238
  • Clarks Summit University: $596,633
  • Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine: $160,035
  • Hazleton Area Career Center: $33,666
  • Johnson College: $559,569
  • Jolie Hair and Beauty Academy: $150,088
  • Keystone College: $1,425,853
  • King’s College: $1,968,517
  • Lackawanna College: $1,885,348
  • Luzerne County Community College: $3,206,325
  • Marywood University: $2,020,450
  • Misericordia University: $1,536,398
  • University of Scranton: $2,938,777
  • Wilkes-Barre Area Career and Technical Center: $335,061
  • Wilkes University: $2,403,446
  • Yeshivath Beth Moshe: $44,687

This is the first of two rounds of funding for post-secondary education institutions to come from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. These funds must be used to provide cash grants to students for expenses related to disruptions to their educations due to the COVID-19 outbreak, including course materials, technology, food, housing, health care and child care. The institutions must use no less than 50 percent of the total money they are given from this emergency fund for direct emergency cash grants for students. They must certify for the U.S. Department of Education that the funds will be used for this purpose in order to receive them.