Mo. announces allocating $206 million for institutions of higher education, students impacted by COVID-19

By Ashley Smith | April 9, 2020 at 4:53 PM CDT - Updated April 10 at 5:38 AM

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KFVS) - Today, the U.S. Department of Education is allocating $206 million in funding for Missouri colleges, universities, and trade schools.

$103 million will be immediately available for schools to make emergency cash grants to students to cover expenses like course materials, food, housing, and health care.

Another $103 million will be allocated to schools in the coming weeks to offset other general expenses related to COVID-19, such as distance learning costs.

“As a former university president, I’m committed to making sure the federal government does its part to help schools and students overcome the financial challenges caused by COVID-19,” said Blunt. “Providing direct cash grants to students will help alleviate financial burdens and mitigate the negative impact on their academic careers. I appreciate the Education Department for releasing this critical funding, and encourage them to move quickly on getting additional support to schools.”