Carri Dobbins/Pixabay
MAYS LANDING This week, 1,258 Atlantic Cape Community College students were notified that the balance of their tuition debt incurred during the pandemic had been forgiven. Atlantic Cape created a debt amnesty program funded through the federal government's Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021.
Atlantic Cape has discharged $1.1 million of debt, covering all outstanding balances incurred from March 13, 2020 to the end of the Spring semester. Students who fell behind on their tuition will no longer have a hold on their account and will be able to register for the upcoming fall semester and obtain transcripts.
This opportunity will be truly transformational for students, especially those who have struggled post-pandemic and put their education on hold, Atlantic Cape President Barbara Gaba said in a release. The past 16 months have been challenging for so many of our students, and we are thrilled to be able to give them a clean slate so they can move forward and continue with their education.
In addition, Atlantic Cape Community College has distributed nearly $4 million in Federal CARES and CRRSAA emergency funding to more than 4,750 individual students to date, with additional student emergency funding and support. The distributed funds provided support for any component of a student's cost of attendance or eligible emergency pandemic costs.
For the fall semester, Atlantic Cape is planning to continue distributing direct aid to enrolled students and will launch a free laptop program, and details will be available soon.
The continuing support from federal, state, and local authorities have had a significant impact in our area and on the welfare of our students, Gaba said. Through the programs we are implementing, our students should have nothing holding them back when it comes to furthering their education.
For more information, visit atlantic.edu.
