Today, Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, released the following statement regarding $5 million in emergency funding for the University of the Virgin Islands:
“Today I am pleased to announce that the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) will receive $5,646,511 from the recently passed American Rescue Plan. The funding will help UVI cope with the severe financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and continue serving their students safely. At least half of the funding each institution receives will be distributed in the form of emergency cash assistance grants to students who are facing hunger, homelessness and other hardship.
“The American Rescue Plan provides $36 billion for nearly 3,500 public and private, nonprofit colleges and universities nationwide. The success of UVI is critical to the success of our students and to the strength of this community. The American Rescue Plan makes a historic investment that will secure the future of these valued institutions and provide struggling students with urgent relief that will allow them to stay on track and complete their education. I am proud that we were able to deliver this critical support for institutions of higher education, and I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration for its relentless focus on defeating the pandemic and building back a better economy.
“Students should contact their institutions for more information about how they can apply for an emergency grant. The American Rescue Plan also includes nearly $3 billion in additional funding – which will be distributed at a later date – for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), other minority-serving institutions, and other under-resourced institutions.”
