MCC awarded share of $5 million American Rescue Plan funding

Feb. 1, 2022

McLennan Community College is one of only six colleges in the nation and the only one in Texas awarded a Basic Needs for Postsecondary Students Program grant for $575,210 from the U.S. Department of Education’s American Rescue Plan, which includes an additional $198 million dedicated to support institutions with the greatest need. The grant will fund new initiatives to meet the basic needs of food, housing and healthcare for students.

With its share of the funding, MCC will create a fully integrated network of support to address basic need challenges by connecting students with on-and off-campus resources. The network will include resources for academic, social and emotional support to help improve the retention and completion rates of underserved students. The project will identify other support agencies in the community that can provide additional student support like food assistance, housing, transportation, and healthcare/mental health needs.

“In speaking with students from across the country at all different types of higher education institutions, I have heard consistently that the pandemic has exacerbated challenges in meeting students’ basic needs, from housing, to food, to transportation, and more,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We cannot let this be a barrier to student success, particularly for students who have contended with these issues for far too long. The resources we are announcing today will be critical to ensuring that students can persist and successfully complete their degree programs without having to worry about where their next meal will come from or whether they will be able to find childcare for their children.” 

All award winners including MCC are community colleges and Hispanic Serving Institutions. The other five institutions include: Montgomery College (MD), Los Angeles City College (CA), Rio Hondo College (CA), Hartnell Community College District (CA) and Passaic County Community College (NJ).

For more information about the program contact MCC Director of Student Engagement, Paul Hoffman, at phoffman@mclennan.edu or 254-299-8402. For admissions information, contact Highlander Central at 254-299-8622 or highlandercentral@mclennan.edu.