Hampton Roads colleges receive $46 million in emergency COVID-19 funding

Posted: Apr 13, 2020 / 11:34 AM MDT

Updated: Apr 13, 2020 / 11:34 AM MDT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — Colleges and universities in Hampton Roads will receive more than $46 million collectively in federal coronavirus emergency funds, officials say.

Congressman Bobby Scott announced that colleges and universities in the 3rd Congressional District will receive more than $46 million combined in COVID-19 relief through the CARES Act. At least half of the money will be given as grants to displaced students for food, housing, and other essential needs. Students can apply for COVID-19 relief grants through their institutions, according to a news release.

Colleges and universities receiving CARES Act funding include:

Christopher Newport University: $2,893,936
Eastern Virginia Medical School: $329,653
Hampton University: $4,264,342
Norfolk State University: $6,901,715
Old Dominion University: $15,548,901
Paul D. Camp Community College: $512,617
Thomas Nelson Community College: $3,853,969
Tidewater Community College: $11,999,956

The CARES Act will provide $14 billion in COVID-19 emergency funds to colleges and universities across the United States during coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Department of Higher Education announced last week that the first $6 billion would be used primarily to help students who were displaced when colleges and universities across the country shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in March.

An additional $1 billion will be distributed to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other institutions that serve minorities through the CARES Act. That money will be distributed at a later date, the news release states.

“I am pleased that Congress has taken meaningful steps to support the students and institutions of Virginia’s Third Congressional District,” Scott said. “The COVID-19 public health emergency is putting an enormous strain on our higher education system. In pass the CARES Act, Congress issued a down payment on the immediate and substantial relief that displaced students and cash-strapped institutions need to cope with this crisis. This funding will help struggling students cover the cost of food, housing, and other basic essentials, and give institutions of higher education a lifeline as they suffer heavy financial losses.”