Mercer College Begins Giving $1.9M To Students Amid Pandemic

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Mercer County Community College has begun distributing federal relief funds provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to students who need funding the most, the college announced.

“We want to take this opportunity to help our students stay focused on remaining in school, and we want to base it on student needs,” Mercer County Community College President Dr. Jianping Wang said. “We want to be equitable, so it is fair to all students.”

The federal government recently announced approval of the $2 trillion CARES Act package, with $14 billion earmarked to help colleges, their students, and their families mitigate financial losses due to new coronavirus.

New Jersey’s share is $323 million, with $3.85 million going to Mercer County Community College. Of that amount half — or just over $1.9 million — is slated for direct aid to students, college officials said. The money is being distributed to students via check.

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The college moved to remote operations on March 13 following New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's declaration of a public health emergency. As the social and economic consequences of the quarantine became pronounced, college staff conducted a poll of students to identify needs, concerns, and areas where assistance might be needed.

In that survey, 60 percent of students expressed concern with finances, including the financial resources to obtain food. Nearly 40 percent of students responded that they had no difficulties to report, with 65 percent saying they had adequate technology resources to continue their studies from home.

However, more than a third reported a lack of technology resources and one-fifth said they could use help to make social connections. Read more here: Mercer College Expands Help For Students After Coronavirus Survey

“We want to do it the right way — fair, equitable, and meeting student needs,” Wang said. “Our team is working hard to encourage students to stay on track in spite of daunting challenges, and very caringly and compassionately reaching out to each one of them to assess those needs.”

Dr. Gonzalo Perez, Dean of Innovation, Online Learning and Student Success, coordinated the effort that began with the survey.

“The questionnaire is a mix that combines questions regarding daily needs — rent, food, housing, childcare, technology — and what their plans are for attending Mercer,” Perez said. “Then we calculate the dollars that would meet those needs. We want everyone to know it is equitable, and provides students more funds to meet their needs during these difficult times.”

Perez said it was a challenging task, with college employees all carrying out their role while the college is operating remotely, but still needing to closely coordinate each step in the process.

Each student is contacted personally by a staff member from the college to better fully assess his or her situation, and to maximize benefits through other programs, if necessary.

To be eligible, the U.S. Department of Education requires completion of both, the 2019-20 and 2020-21 FAFSA Applications (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Mercer County Community College continues to accept CARES Act applications at www.mccc.edu/CARES.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck project,” Perez said. “I think the college recognizes that this is an opportunity to really help our students. Our goal is to help as many students as we can in an equitable fashion until all the money is gone.”

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know