Federal and HACC Foundation funds ease financial burdens caused by COVID-19
July 8, 2020
HARRISBURG, Pa. – HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, has been allocated approximately $4.5 million through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to be used as emergency financial aid grants for students.
Provided by the U.S. federal government, CARES Act funds were distributed directly to 9,574 students who qualify for Title IV federal financial aid. Each eligible student received approximately $237. Additionally, an estimated 6,277 students received approximately $362 each using the Pell-eligible Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) index. Recipients may use the funds to help offset disruptive costs from COVID-19, such as child care expenses, transportation, technology and course materials.
John J. “Ski” Sygielski, Ed.D., MBA, president and CEO of HACC, said, “We understand that many students are suffering financially. We have been judicious about the process of distributing these much-needed funds to HACC students. Our students – many of whom must work full time to help pay for their college classes – have been disproportionately affected by the economic recession caused by COVID-19.”
The HACC Foundation is offering financial assistance in the form of HOPE Grants to 199 students who did not qualify for the federal CARES Act funds. HOPE stands for “HACC Offers People Empowerment.” Students must have met certain criteria in order to be considered for a HOPE Grant, and each will receive $300.
“Although the CARES Act funds will help a number of students recover from some of the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, there are some students who are ineligible for these federal dollars,” said Linnie Carter, Ph.D., APR, vice president of college advancement at HACC and executive director of the HACC Foundation. “The HACC Foundation is not able to give every single student a grant, but we will continue to find ways to offer assistance and eliminate barriers for students when we can. Our students’ futures depend on innovative and compassionate solutions.”
For more information about the CARES Act, please visit
hacc.edu/CARESAct.
For more information about the HACC Foundation’s HOPE Grants, please visit
hacc.edu/HOPEgrants.
About the HACC Foundation
The HACC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was established in 1985 to raise private and corporate revenues in support of HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College. The HACC Foundation provides funding for student scholarships, innovative academic programs, state-of-the art training equipment and modernized facilities. To learn more about the HACC Foundation, please visit
haccfoundation.org. To contribute to the HACC Foundation, please visit
hacc.edu/GiveNow.
About HACC
HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, is the first and largest of Pennsylvania’s 14 community colleges. HACC offers approximately 100 career and transfer associate degree, certificate and diploma programs to approximately 19,000 students. Also, the College serves students at its Gettysburg, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon and York campuses; through virtual learning; and via workforce development and continuing education training. For more information on how HACC is
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