The Mississippi Community College Foundation has received a grant of $310,000 from the Woodward Hines Education Foundation (WHEF) to help qualifying Mississippi community college students impacted by COVID-19 stay on track towards graduation.

East Central Community College (ECCC) in Decatur will receive $20,000 of that grant to aid qualifying ECCC students.

 

The grant will establish student relief funds at all 15 Mississippi community colleges. Money can be used to help students with the costs associated with in-home internet access, fuel cards, credential fee stipends, to establish campus tablet or computer loan programs, or other costs that may be a barrier to college completion.

ECCC President Billy Stewart said that his college is working through its Foundation to determine the best way to distribute the funds to its students in need.

“I’ve communicated many times with our students since this pandemic began, and I have consistently told them that we are in unprecedented and ever-changing times,” said Stewart. “Many of our students find themselves in need of financial assistance as we have moved from face-to-face instruction to online instruction and as we have had to close our campus, including our residence halls and dining facility. Online learning has placed a significant burden on many of our students, especially in our rural five-county district where access to the internet can sometimes be difficult. I look forward to the Foundation’s recommendation as to the most effective way to distribute these funds to East Central students in need.

This is not the first time WHEF has provided financial support to Mississippi’s community colleges. WHEF has awarded $490,000 to Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society to provide membership scholarships to high-achieving but underserved community college students. WHEF has also provided support to Coahoma Community College and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College through a $900,000 grant to Achieving the Dream, to support the development of a peer learning community and build leadership and data capacity among each institution.