PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Community College of Philadelphia is once again paying off the outstanding account balances of students.
The college is using $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan money to pay bookstore fees and unpaid tuition for 1,900 students. Under the program, debts will be forgiven for students enrolled during the summer and fall semesters of 2021.
Last year, CCP made a similar offer, paying off $2.75 million in outstanding balances for 3,500 students.
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“This year, our students are facing yet another financial roadblock: record-high inflation,” CCP President Donald Guy Generals said in a statement. “They are forced to juggle their education, work, and their families in addition to the rising cost of housing, transportation, and groceries.”
“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,” Generals added.
Once their outstanding balances are cleared, students will be permitted to register for classes in the summer and fall 2022 semesters.
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“With the full backing of the board, the college has yet again made the decision to use HEERF [Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund] funding to pay off outstanding student account balances,” said CCP Board of Trustees Chair Jeremiah White in a statement.
“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.”
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