MIDLAND, Texas — Midland College will be welcoming back its students next Monday for the start of the fall semester, and given last year's circumstances the school is wanting every student to have a chance to come back.
"We want to make sure we help as many students as possible," said Julia Vickery, VP of Student Services at Midland College.
Vickery says HEERF, the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, is a fund allotted to colleges so they can better help students affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
"What Midland College has decided to do is open that up to all of our students who are credential seeking or trying to finish up a program and allow them to self identify how they’ve been economically harmed and how we can help them with these funds to continue to pursue their education," she said.
HEERF 3 is made up of three million dollars and helps cover the expenses for students.
"It is meant for childcare, transportation, housing, tuition cost, book cost, health cost. Anyway a student has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and has suffered economically for that, can apply for these fund," said Vickery.
This emergency aid can really be helpful for students who may have counted themselves out because of how they were affected last year.
"If we can continue that process for those students and not let external financial woes really stop them in their tracks. If we can bridge that then we know we can make a difference in their lives and we’re making a difference in our community and as a community college that is our mission," Vickery said.