The following is excerpted from the Deseret News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
Despite facing significant pandemic-related financial losses, four universities and colleges owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have turned down more than $54.1 million in federal stimulus funding.
Brigham Young University, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Hawaii and LDS Business College will use private funds to help students who suffered pandemic-related financial issues during the semester that ended last month instead of using the money allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
Eligible students could begin to receive support from the schools’ private funds in June.
Meanwhile, the future of on-campus classes remains cloudy. BYU has announced it won’t make a decision until July about whether students will return to the Provo campus classes in the fall.
Neither the church nor the schools applied for or received the CARES Act funding, and the schools have notified the U.S. Department of Education of their decision so the money can be used at schools in greater need of aid.
“We believe we can assist our students without the CARES Act funds,” BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said in a statement. Students can receive help with their basic needs, such as food and housing.
The CARES Act allocated the following amounts for the schools:
• BYU: $32,272,986.
• BYU-Idaho: $18,172,623.
• BYU-Hawaii: $2,306,881.
• LDS Business College $1,422,523.
To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
