Sadie LeComte

Digital Editor

The university will get $5,647,034 in aid from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, President Chris Maggio said at the Student Government Association meeting Monday. The bill sends aid to higher education among other areas. 

Of the $2 trillion stimulus bill, approximately $13.953 billion is going to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. The act says, in part:

 • $12.558 billion to institutions through the Title IV distribution system.

• Institutional amounts are calculated using 75 percent of full-time equivalent enrollment of Pell students at an institution and 25 percent of the institutional award is calculated using full-time equivalent enrollment of non-Pell students.

• Students who were exclusively online are removed from the calculation.

• At least $6.279 billion awarded to institutions must be used to provide direct emergency aid to students, including grants to students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and childcare.

• The bill defines the funds in this section as provided “to each institution of higher education to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. Recipients of funds must retain current employees to the “maximum extent practicable.”

• $1.047 billion for minority-serving institutions.

• $349 million for grants to institutions particularly impacted by coronavirus, to be administered through FIPSE.

• Priority for these grants goes to smaller institutions who received less than $500,000 under the formula and MSI grants and still have significant unmet need.

Student Body President Jacob Ellis said the package is a “step in the right direction” to get the country back on track. 

Ellis also clarified the updated situation on spring commencement. A virtual commencement will take place May with a tentative physical ceremony taking place in late summer, he said. 

The senate congratulated Speaker Nick Hopkins, Student Affairs Commissioner Kristen Prejean and Treasurer Elizabeth Coleman as student body president, vice president and treasurer elects, respectively. 

SGA elections opened Tuesday at 8 a.m. and close Wednesday at 8 a.m. 

As of publication, the budget sits at $44,219.97 for SGA, $59,787 for speakers and $13,455 for Organizational Relief Fund. 

The last SGA meeting of the semester is May 20, and inauguration will take place at the following meeting. 

In response to the COVID-19 epidemic, all SGA meetings are taking place virtually.