More than $1.8 million in debt has been cleared for students at Southwest Tennessee Community College who experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outstanding balances have been forgiven for over 1,600 Southwest Tennessee Community College (STCC) students according to a recent news release from the college. Funds for the debt elimination came from the U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF). STCC states that the debt relief was for students who were negatively impacted financially as a result of COVID-19 and who attended the college during the spring, summer, or fall semesters of 2020. Administrators say that the elimination of outstanding balances will allow students to return to class and continue pursuing degrees and other credentials.
President of STCC, Dr. Tracy Hall, explained that the relief funds were needed to help its student body. "Our students were hit particularly hard by the pandemic and many of them had to leave college abruptly," Hall stated, adding, "Wiping the slate clean clears a path for them to come back and move forward with their goals and career aspirations."
Hall also emphasized the impact of the debt forgiveness will have on the students in the long run by enabling them to continue their studies. "Earning a college credential is transformative for our students and removing this financial barrier to their success is the best use of COVID-19 relief funds. We are truly grateful and elated to be able to help our students in such a meaningful way," Hall said.
STCC pointed out in the news release that using the federally funded relief money to cover the outstanding balances for students falls within the guidelines set out by the U.S. Department of Education. HEERF funding, part of the 2020 CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act, is meant to be used to assist with a wide range of student costs, including tuition and fees, food, housing, healthcare, or childcare.