December 08, 2021 | Midwestern University
Midwestern University has given 100% of an estimated $8.5 million in Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) apportioned to the University to support the nearly 7,000 healthcare professions students enrolled at its campuses in Downers Grove, Illinois, and Glendale, Arizona.
The HEERF program included three separate federal grant allocations to Midwestern (HEERF-I, HEERF-II and HEERF-III) designed to support students in the form of cash grants and to support the institution’s operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The HEERF grants were originally allocated to Midwestern with a stipulation that at least 50% of the funds were required to go to students, with the remaining funds to be used by the institution to offset additional costs related to COVID-19. Midwestern University’s administration elected to apportion 100% of all HEERF grants received, an estimated $10.2 million, to University students as need-based grants.
As of the date of this press release, Midwestern has already awarded and disbursed approximately $8.5 million in HEERF grants to students. This includes grants from HEERF-I, HEERF-II and HEERF-III disbursements. HEERF-I and HEERF-II have been fully disbursed at this time and Midwestern will grant an additional $1.7 million to students in the coming months.
“Thanks to foresight and careful planning, Midwestern University’s infrastructure and operations are positioned such that we have the freedom to commit the entirety of our federal allocations to our wonderful students,” remarked Kathleen H. Goeppinger, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Midwestern University. “These grants provide an important support mechanism for our future healthcare heroes to learn the skills and expertise necessary to better the lives of people around the world in all areas of global healthcare.”
The HEERF grant program was authorized by the passage of three separate Federal laws. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020 and created HEERF-I. HEERF-II is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), signed into law on December 27, 2020. HEERF-III was authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), signed into law on March 11, 2021. Midwestern University is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.