Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday he is allocating $94.6 million in federal COVID-19 relief money for higher education programs to support students as they continue to navigate college during the pandemic.
The one-time funding comes from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief fund as part of the federal CARES Act. It will be distributed by the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Board, in large part to encourage students to enroll in degree and certificate programs in areas with employee shortages, and to launch new programs to academically support new students and those who started college but left before finishing.
“As we transition from pandemic response to economic recovery, a key dilemma our state faces is the significant gap between the skills and credentials many Texans possess and the needs of employers today and into the future,” Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller said in a press release. “This dilemma requires strategic solutions and Texas higher education will play a pivotal role in empowering our state’s talent pipeline.”
