TEXAS – Gov. Greg Abbott approved the allocation of an additional $96.4 million in federal coronavirus aid funds on Monday to support Texas higher education, according to a news release.
The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) provided the funds to the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief, Abbott said.
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The governor’s office broke down how the money will be used:
- $48.1 million to rapidly expand capacity for high-demand and high-value educational opportunities, including $5 million for work-based learning and apprenticeships;
- $28.5 million to accelerate enrollments, support high-potential students, and provide financial aid for critical student populations;
- $10 million to establish the My Texas Future program to provide curated one-stop advising resources to help traditional Texas students and adult learners to connect with higher education opportunities across the state;
- $4 million to expand outreach and engagement of adult learners to meet workforce demands of the state and its employers;
- $4 million to bolster Tri-Agency data information security and accessibility.
“As we move forward from the pandemic, it is critical that we continue to support higher education to ensure more Texans are trained to face dynamic and unique challenges that will set them apart from others, and make them more competitive, in their field,” Abbott said in a news release.
The governor approved $175 million last year to support higher education during the pandemic.