State unveils grant program for college reopening

Colleges and universities struggling to reopen will be able to tap a portion of $28 million in federal CARES Act grants, state officials set aside to help them underwrite public health and safety plans.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced the availability of grants as colleges wrestle with last minute decisions on whether to reopen shuttered campuses or continue online learning this fall. He said $500,000 from the grant pool has been earmarked for adult basic education providers, while the remainder will be available to colleges and universities.

Even colleges opting for online learning say they have invested in additional infrastructure to offer remote classes, while those welcoming back students ratcheted back dorm capacity and worked to realign classrooms to allow for social distancing.

“Students attending post-secondary institutions and participating in adult education programs are eager to return to class, and institutions have been planning for months for a safe return to instruction. This funding will help these institutions, whether they choose to continue to provide remote instruction, return to in-person instruction, or employ a hybrid approach to meet the instructional needs of their students,” Wolf said, announcing the grant program.

State officials said grants may be used to underwrite the purchase of protective equipment, hand sanitizer/cleaning products; equipment or technology to take classes online; the installation of barriers in buildings; or to purchase health apps to assist in contact tracing and monitoring students.