Through the CARES Act, WKU is receiving $10.6 million to distribute where needed.

The bill guaranteed that $14 billion is provided to higher education institutions around the country, with $156 million of that going just to institutions in the state of Kentucky.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security bill, otherwise known as the CARES Act, was signed by President Donald Trump on March 27 and was enacted to provide eligible U.S. citizens with financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At least 50% of the amount of funds the institution receives must go straight to emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the closures of campuses.

Students can use these funds on materials and technology necessary for coursework, food, housing, healthcare and childcare, according to Secretary of Education Betsy Devos in a press release Thursday.

Depending on the institution, funds may be allocated in different ways, “which may include distributing the funds to all students or only to students who demonstrate significant need.”

Devos encouraged institutions receiving funding to consider creating a maximum threshold of how much money students can receive to assure funds are distributed correctly.

If an institution does not have a population of students who do not have a current significant need, they are urged to reallocate the money into another regional institution that does have a significant need. 

“The Department [of Education] is also working expeditiously to allocate the remaining funding that is reserved for institutional use, and we will provide details on how institutions may apply for this institutional funding, as well as for other emergency funding, in the coming days,” Devos said in the press release. “Thank you for your continued work on behalf of America’s students.”

News reporter Cassady Lamb can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @lambp0p.