Over 1,100 Delaware State University Students to Benefit From Second Round of Debt Relief

More than 1,100 students of Delaware State University will benefit from the second round of debt relief, which has been made possible by the CARES Act, the university has announced this week.

According to a press release issued by the university, the $2.9 million fund will help students in financial distress ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began who are not able to cover housing expenses or tuition fees, Erudera.com reports.

“Students who are Pell Grant eligible will receive $2,500; students who are not Pell eligible will receive $1,000. Pell Grants are awarded to students with “exceptional financial need.”  Nearly half of Delaware State University students meet Pell Grant eligibility criteria,” the university’s press release reads.

Delaware State University President Tony Allen said that the university has managed to meet students’ needs because it had the strong support of its partners, through the outpouring of alumni support as well as university’s congressional delegation advocacy.

The Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management, Antonio Boyle, said that the university expects that students and their parents will understand the importance of the second round of funding.

“This funding allows students to work through a range of needs related to their education, the most significant of which is the ability to wipe out several thousand dollars in debt at one keystroke,” Boyle said.

Last year, between March and June, Del State raised more than $1.6 MM in private funding for a University-sponsored Student Emergency Relief Fund. Students who faced the not-expected move off campus were supported under the fund.

Back then, the university allocated $200,000 worth of laptops, tablets as well as portable WiFi devices to those needing devices and connectivity while pursuing studies and working remotely.

This year, DSU became the first nation’s Historically Black College to provide a total of $735,000 to remove the debts of 225 graduating seniors. Overall, Delaware State University dedicated around $8.5 million to support students amid the pandemic. Following the investment, President Allen said “We aren’t finished yet.”

Allen added that the university would reassess the debt needs of students and make sure that the latter will understand the significance of managing debts for being successful and achieving their dreams. 

Over the past year, Dallas College canceled student debt that was owed to the institution for 14,000 students in total by using the federal government’s Emergency Fund For Colleges.