The University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College pressed Senator Mark Warner on Thursday for more federal funding to help students who don’t have access to the internet and computers to continue online learning.
The colleges are asking for more federal funding as Germanna, in particular, had a 12% increase in enrollment this semester and expressed a need for additional funds to provide students with computers. Both intuitions pivoted to online learning in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and expressed concern about students who want to attend their schools but cannot due to a lack of computer equipment.
Neither requested a specific dollar amount. Both Germanna and Mary Washington received over $2.8 million each in federal CARES Act money at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Germanna website and the U.S. Department of Education website.
Warner, along with 30 other senators, has requested $47 billion in new funding to be used for higher education. The request would be modeled after the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund that was established by the CARES Act.
Should it be granted, the funding would allow for $27 billion to be distributed to public colleges and universities, $3.5 billion for Historically Black Colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions, $7 billion for private, not-for-profit colleges and universities, and $1.4 billion for other colleges and universities with an unmet need related to the coronavirus pandemic which would include schools that only offer online classes.
Warner stated that such funding would be necessary for higher education institutions to continue to adapt to the current climate caused by the pandemic.
“The pandemic has forced schools to adapt in seven months where they would have gone in 10 months,” said Warner.
When it comes to helping the community, The University of Mary Washington offered its sub-zero freezers in its Biology department to hold vaccines should one become available.
Both institutions also expressed concerns about the potential for the breakdown in the pipeline feeding students from primary schools to college due to lack of resources for students.
Both the university and community college schools have turned to a hybrid form of teaching by implementing online learning while offering in-person classes in situations where it would be deemed necessary, such as hands-on labs.
Germanna has adapted its buildings, which are now being used as temporary food banks. Meanwhile, the staff has been on site to bring bringing out testing papers to students parked in their cars as well as helping them to file for benefits that may help them afford their educations.
Mary Washington has recently been lauded by Representative Rob Wittman and the Fredericksburg City Council for their efforts to keep their doors open during the pandemic. The university has taken steps to ensure the safety of students and faculty by adhering to social distancing and mask recommendations as well as monitoring potential illness. To date, the university has had only two confirmed coronavirus cases as of Sept. 30.
