CSU Bakersfield, along with colleges across the United States, is about to receive emergency aid from the U.S. Department of Education.  A portion of the funding allocated to each college is earmarked for emergency financial aid grants to be paid to students.  The CARES Act specifies half of each school’s financial relief allotment go to fund emergency student grants.   

  CSUB is set to receive $13,588,942 with a minimum of $6,794,471 for emergency student grants according to a searchable database compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education.  Once CSUB receives the funds, eligible students will begin receiving relief grants intended to aid during the coronavirus pandemic.   

 U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke about investing in education in a press release from the Department of Education. 

  “This pandemic has made clear every single education institution should make important investments to ensure learning continues when unexpected circumstances arise,” said DeVos. “Accordingly, the additional funds made available today can be used to expand remote learning programs, build IT capacity, and train faculty and staff to operate in a remote learning environment so that at any moment institutions can pivot quickly. I hope that institutions that already have robust remote learning capacity will consider using this funding to support additional emergency cash grants for students.” 

  CSUB President Lynnette Zelezny advised patience in a press release on April 24, sent by email. Zelezny also spoke with The Runner about how the grant will be disbursed. 

  “There are guidelines provided by the CARES Act and the Department of Education that govern how the funds can be used,” Zelezny said. 

  CSU Chancellor Timothy White and the presidents of each CSU are working towards interpreting these guidelines at this time.  Zelezny was travelling to meet with the chancellor and other CSU presidents at the time of the call, and believes that she will know more by next week.   

  More information will be provided, as this is a developing story.