Mt. SAC Disburses CARES Act Grants for Students

May 13, 2020 - 10:05 AM

Mt. San Antonio College has distributed more than $6.9 million to students in its first wave of grants to help students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for student emergency relief.

“Our Mt. SAC team members have worked around the clock to get this money into our students’ hands as soon as possible,” said President Bill Scroggins. “Students at community colleges can be particularly hard hit by this unprecedented situation. We are fully committed to helping our students and our community recover from this crisis.”

The initial CARES Act funding is being disbursed directly to about 10,400 eligible students in the form of grant aid to help with financial hardships as a result of COVID-19. The college is also developing an emergency grant for students who show need.

“We are working through the details of the emergency grant and application so we can help as many students experiencing financial hardship as possible,” said Vice President for Student Services Audrey Yamagata-Noji. “It’s important for students to remember that our student services are still open and available online. From financial aid to counseling and medical assistance, our programs are here for them.”

The first wave of grant aid was distributed to students who are currently enrolled in the spring semester, eligible for Title IV (qualifying for financial aid), and had an unmet need of $5,001 or more. Those students received an email with the news on Tuesday and could find the grant listed under their Financial Aid status. Each student received between $400 and $900 depending on the number of units they are taking during the Spring semester.

“We want students to know Mt. SAC is here for them,” says Jenny Phu, assistant director of Financial Aid. “The whole community is coming together to support one another. In fact, we had a student come forward and return her grant. Even though she didn’t have money herself, she said her parents were able to support her, so she wanted the funds to go to someone who needed it more. I was in awe. With everyone working together like this, I know we will overcome this as a community.”

For frequently asked questions about the disbursement, visit the Financial Aid FAQs website. To help support students in need, visit the Mt. SAC Foundation. For more on the CARES Act visit our Reporting website.