RICHMOND, Va. - Governor Ralph Northam announced Tuesday a new allocation of more than $116 million in federal CARES Act dollars to support Virginia’s colleges, universities, and medical schools.
The funding will be distributed to public universities and medical centers to support telework and distance learning infrastructure, personal protective equipment, sanitization and cleaning, and testing for students, staff, and faculty.
“Virginia has some of the best colleges and universities in the nation, and they are working overtime to keep students, staff, and faculty safe,” said Governor Northam. “This additional $116 million in federal funding will go a long way towards closing COVID-related budget gaps at these institutions, and will ensure they can continue to provide a world-class education in the midst of this public health crisis.”
Approximately $115.6 million of this funding will go directly to institutions to cover previous and upcoming COVID-19 expenses through December 30.
$600,000 in federal funds will also go to support the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), which will use this funding to purchase educational films, documentaries, and television programming to support distance learning at all public institutions.
“We are grateful to the Governor and the General Assembly for targeting some of these much needed resources to higher education to benefit Virginia’s students and families,” said John Broderick, President of Old Dominion University.
Information on the amount of funding allocated to each institution can be found here.
In September Northam announced a higher education refinancing plan that will save Virginia’s public colleges and universities more than $300 million over the next two years.
