As many as 800,000 community college students will be left without emergency aid from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, CARES Act the California Community Colleges press release said.
The California Community Colleges said the eligibility requirements are unconstitutional and unlawful, filing a lawsuit to the Department of Education on May 11.
The CARES Act is a $2 trillion emergency relief fund signed into law on March 27. The act includes a $12.56 billion Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund distributed by the Department of Education Sec. Betsy DeVos.
The act was passed by congress to alleviate the impact of COVID-19. However, the Department of Education set limitations on who can receive this aid which Chancellor Eloy Oakley of the California Community Colleges said was, “arbitrary.”
“Many students who may be most in need of relief will be deprived of assistance during this public health crisis, including non-citizen students who are DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status recipients and asylum applicants as well as substantial numbers of U.S. citizens in the California community college system,” the California Community Colleges CARES Act lawsuit said.
Perri made a response about the filed lawsuit from some California Community Colleges.
“Citrus College fully supports the work of the state chancellor, and is actively advocating to ensure the success and completion of our students,” Perri said via email in response to the lawsuit.
A press release by the California Community Colleges said the Department of Education was on board with all students receiving the federal aid. However, the Department of Education changed its stance to only those students eligible for financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act may receive this aid.
“However, there is no provision in the CARES Act that sets eligibility requirements or provides the Secretary of Education with the discretion to do so,” Vice Chancellor for Communications Paul Feist said in a press release from the California Community Colleges website.
The Congressional Research Service said Title IV allows programs to provide financial assistance to students obtaining higher education degrees at certain institutions.
The Los Angeles Community College District, Los Rios Community College District, State Center Community College District, Foothill-De Anza Community College District and the San Diego Community College District are also involved in the lawsuit.
In response to the lawsuit, Superintendent/President Geraldine M. Perri sent an email to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Judy Chu. Perri said Citrus College was not included in the lawsuit because Citrus was not asked. Perri also said the schools included best represent the 115 California community colleges.
In response to Perri, Feinstein said he was doing everything he could to enhance the government’s ability to combat this virus and restore our economy as quickly and safely as possible.
California Community Colleges are inclined to look into other options of aid, despite already receiving approximately $580 million across the state, such as the Student Equity and Achievement program. This program is meant to help students who are in good academic standing, but have ran into unforeseen financial troubles.
COVID-19 has put a lot of financial pressure on schools to cover the gap of funding due to the current economic crisis.
The Clarion reached out to Vice President of Student Services Martha McDonald, but she was not available for comment at the time of publication.
