McGovern, MA Delegation Urges Congress to Prioritize Emergency Funding for Students and Colleges in COVID-19 StimulusColleges and Universities Make Up a Significant Share of Massachusetts Workforce
Washington,
March 23, 2020
WASHINGTON -- Today, Congressman James P. McGovern (D-MA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, joined the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to prioritize substantial emergency financial support for students and institutions of higher education in the upcoming coronavirus disease (COVID-19) stimulus package. Such funding would help mitigate the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on higher education in the Commonwealth, and prevent the need for colleges and universities in Massachusetts and across the country to raise tuition costs for students or layoff workers. There are over one hundred colleges and universities in Massachusetts—including prestigious research universities, state public colleges, private liberal arts institutions, and community colleges—that employ a significant share of the workforce in Massachusetts and serve students from communities all over the Commonwealth and around the world. These institutions have taken unprecedented steps to respond to the global pandemic, from identifying new ways to deliver classes online and implementing necessary campus-wide closures, to helping lead the urgent search for COVID-19 treatment and a vaccine. However, as a result of COVID-19, colleges and universities in Massachusetts—which rely on tuition—face significant losses in revenue while facing new, unexpected costs. “COVID-19 has jeopardized the health, learning, and livelihoods of millions of vulnerable students, and threatens to further destabilize the institutions of higher education upon which our nation depends, including colleges and universities in Massachusetts,” the lawmakers wrote. “We implore you to include vigorous financial assistance for students and higher education institutions in the forthcoming COVID-19 relief package.” Specifically, the lawmakers asked that Congressional leaders prioritize the following measures:
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