Community College of Philadelphia announced that it will pay off more than $1.4 million in outstanding account balances of approximately 1,900 students with institutional funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III), included in the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP).
Eligible students must have been enrolled in credit-bearing courses in the summer 2021 or fall 2021 semesters, and balances from tuition and bookstore fees incurred during those periods will be forgiven. Once the outstanding balances on students’ accounts have been paid off, they will be able to register for the summer 2022 and fall 2022 semesters.
Last July, the College announced that it had paid off $2.75 million in outstanding account balances of nearly 3,500 students using HEERF II funding.
“Last year, the College made the conscious decision to pay off the outstanding account balances of about 3,500 of our students – many who were devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said College President Dr. Donald “Guy” Generals. “This year our students are facing yet another financial roadblock: record-high inflation. They are forced to juggle their education, work, and their families in addition to the rising cost of housing, transportation, and groceries.”
He added, “Like most Americans, our students are feeling the pressure in our current economy. We simply want to make it easier for them to complete their degree or certificate programs so they can start earning family-sustaining wages.”
The HEERF III institutional funding set aside to clear outstanding balances is only one avenue in which the College plans to assist students. The College will continue to support students facing financial hardships through dollars raised by the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation.
“With the full backing of the Board, the College has yet again made the decision to use HEERF funding to pay off outstanding student account balances,” said College Board of Trustees Chair Jeremiah J. White, Jr. “We will continue to use every resource at our disposal to ease the financial burden far too many of our students face. One less bill means that they can spend less time working overtime and more time focusing on their studies.”
The first day of classes for the fall 2022 semester is Tuesday, Sept. 6. Information on registering for classes, including a course finder, can be found online at: https://myccp.online/records-and-registration/student-registration.
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