Under the American Rescue Plan, the COVID-19 relief plan passed by Democrats, nearly $2.4 billion has been delivered for direct student assistance and for staffing and health programs at 260 colleges and universities in Florida. This funding is making higher education – including community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) – more affordable and ensuring that financially-stressed students are able to stay in class and graduate.
In Central Florida, this includes $165 million for the University of Central Florida and $108 million for Valencia College.
The American Rescue Plan delivered one of the largest one-time infusions of funding ever provided to America’s colleges and universities. A recent survey of college presidents found that this funding enabled:
- 93 percent of colleges to provide direct financial support to students at risk of dropping out
- 81 percent of colleges to keep student net prices similar to pre-pandemic levels
- 70 percent of colleges to continue to employ faculty, staff, and other employees otherwise at risk of unemployment
- 63 percent of colleges to keep students and faculty safe by purchasing COVID-19 tests, health screenings, and health care
“I am proud to announce that thanks to our work, Florida colleges and universities have received critical support to keep classrooms safe, students in school, and the American Dream alive for all Florida families,” said Orlando Representative Val Demings, who supported the legislation. “But with the skyrocketing cost of college and the economic pain of the pandemic, countless families have struggled to make payments, and colleges and universities have faced challenges keeping their staff and students safe. This funding has already had a massive impact here in Florida, and I will continue to fight in Congress to ensure that our students and our communities have the help they need to stay on track, stay open, and get through this pandemic safely.”
As part of a state-by-state breakdown of funding, the Biden administration reported that these American Rescue Plan funds included significant investments in key institutions in Florida, including:
- Approximately $163 million for community colleges
- Over $156 million for 4 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Over $1.1 billion for 21 Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) – which includes
Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Predominantly Black Institutions, Alaska Native and
Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific
Islander-Serving Institutions, and Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions.
Community colleges in Florida receiving American Rescue Plan funds include:
• Hillsborough Community College: $63,918,795
• Tallahassee Community College: $27,844,224
• Erwin Technical College: $4,169,240
• Sheridan Technical College: $3,778,077
• Manatee Technical College: $3,257,972
HBCUs in Florida receiving American Rescue Plan funds include:
• Florida A&M University: $99,274,125
• Bethune Cookman University: $33,041,940
• Edward Waters College: $13,228,709
• Florida Memorial University: $10,641,947
MSIs in Florida receiving American Rescue Plan funds include:
• Miami Dade College: $184,707,179
• University of Central Florida: $165,031,894
• Florida International University: $128,417,981
• Valencia College: $107,856,454
• Broward College: $107,478,597
Examples of other colleges and universities in Florida receiving American Rescue Plan funds include:
• University of South Florida: $102,286,829
• University of Florida: $87,792,683
• Florida State University: $80,031,431
