How North Central Michigan College Used Pandemic Relief Funds to Keep Students Enrolled and Help Them Learn
By Serena C. Klempin
To understand how federal pandemic-recovery funding supported community colleges and their students, researchers from the Community College Research Center and the Public Policy Institute of California conducted a survey of community colleges in six states: California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas. We recently reached out to leaders from one of the participating colleges, North Central Michigan College, to learn more about their experience during the pandemic and what comes next.
David Finley, president; Thomas Zeidel, vice president of finance and facilities; Troy Slater, director of business services; and Erin Sonneveldt, associate dean of institutional research and assessment, sent us their reflections on the most important uses of the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund, which funded both direct aid to students and important institutional needs. They discussed the biggest challenges they faced, their priorities moving forward, advice for policymakers, and more.
The following has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Tell us about North Central Michigan College and the students you serve. How would you describe your college’s context?
NCMC: North Central Michigan College is a small rural college located in Petoskey, Michigan in the most northern county of the Lower Peninsula. The college exists at a juncture where there is extreme affluence and dire need. Within Emmet County, 8.6% of residents live at or below the poverty level, according to the census. In 2021, the median income was $63,488, well below the national median income of $76,330. Other counties in the college’s service area include Cheboygan County and Mackinac County, where the percentages of persons living in poverty are 12% and 15.8%, respectively. In contrast, as a destination city on Little Traverse Bay, the City of Petoskey caters to travelers from around the world and affluent seasonal homeowners.
The college enrolls approximately 2,200 undergraduate and workforce training students each year. Fifty-six percent of North Central degree-seeking students receive Pell Grant aid and 80% receive grant or scholarship aid, according to the Department of Education.
What kinds of challenges were students at North Central facing during the pandemic?
NCMC: The first three months looked really bad for students. There was fear and uncertainty for everyone. Internet connectivity was a huge issue due to our rural location. Students had no way to initially access online courses. Students also lost sources of income. The first rollout of funding helped alleviate a lot of stress for students.
The shift from face-to-face to online education was hard for everyone. It was especially tough for STEM instruction and occupational training programs. For example, nursing students were suddenly unable to complete their clinical requirements, which is a critical learning experience. This prompted the college to amp up its nursing simulation capabilities, and institutional HEER funds made a huge difference here.
What criteria did North Central use to distribute the student aid portion of HEER funds? Did the college’s approach to setting eligibility criteria or determining the amount of aid awarded change over time?
NCMC: In April 2020, the U.S. Department of Education initially stated that only students who were or could have been eligible to participate in programs under Section 484 of Title IV of the Higher Educational Acts of 1965, which outlines eligibility for federal financial aid programs, could receive emergency grants. The amount distributed to each eligible student was based on the number of credit hours they were enrolled in during the winter 2020 semester. In September 2021, additional dollars were received from the HEERF III act. All degree-seeking students were eligible and received funds. Awards were based on estimated family contribution from the FAFSA.
What were the three largest uses of the institutional aid portion of HEER funds? Why did the college devote the largest amounts of aid to those areas?
NCMC: The largest use of institutional aid was for equipment and software to enable distance learning and upgrade campus Wi-Fi access. The second largest use of funds was for “other uses,” and the third largest use of funds was for instructional equipment and supplies to reduce the number of students sharing. As examples, dollars were invested in robotics equipment and our “Library of Things,” which offered various items for checkout, from scooters to telescopes to kitchen equipment and other practical everyday items. These uses were critical to offering education. They also allowed us to innovate and foster a sense of belonging during an extremely trying time for all.
As one of our campus safety projects, we worked to upgrade the HVAC system in one of our oldest and most utilized buildings. Because many other organizations were also trying to improve air quality during the pandemic, there was some delay as a result of supply chain issues.
How important were HEER funds to North Central?
NCMC: HEER funds were extremely important. They helped us do things we wouldn’t have been able to do. They helped us keep people safe. These funds enabled us to maintain our strength and allowed us to step forward in delivering higher education in a different modality.
Which uses of institutional aid were most effective in keeping North Central running during the pandemic? Which uses of institutional aid were most important for supporting students?
NCMC: For students, institutional aid for our library and IT departments was most effective. We were able to provide innovative technologies for people that live in digital deserts. For example, we set up a transmitter on the top of the library. We advanced classroom technology. For the college, we were able to maintain our payroll, and no one was furloughed.
What about student aid? How successful was student aid in meeting students’ academic and nonacademic needs and enabling them to persist?
NCMC: Although we could not apply student aid directly to students’ accounts, we informed students who received HEER student aid that they could choose to use it to pay for their tuition, books, and housing, for example. This helped students stay in school. In fact, we maintained our strong undergraduate student persistence and retention rates throughout the pandemic.
Were there any downsides to HEER funds or things that could have been done better?
NCMC: Reporting requirements, when they finally came out, were unexpectedly stringent. If we had known reporting requirements up front, we could have better planned for them. We didn’t know what was coming. As mentioned, we were also prohibited from putting money on students’ accounts. This put the college on the line for unpaid tuition bills, although this rarely occurred.
What impact has the end of HEER funds had on the types of services and supports offered by North Central? How is the college continuing to fund services and supports that were started using HEER funds?
NCMC: We are maintaining services and supports by wrapping expenses into our operating budget. The college’s foundation also continues to raise funds, which helps us maintain the services that were implemented during the pandemic. Lastly, the State of Michigan introduced new student aid intended for student wraparound services that were related to needs covered by HEERF. These are actually federal dollars funneled through the state and also have stipulations on when and how the money can be spent.
What are North Central’s top priorities for future funding? What do you see as the biggest ongoing needs?
NCMC: North Central’s top priorities include our Childcare Initiative; our Career and Technical Education Enhancement (CATEE) project, which will provide a stronger workforce for the healthcare industry; and a new dormitory. We continue to invest in technology projects as these investments keep increasing in priority and cost. We anticipate huge advancements in artificial intelligence and virtual reality. We are thinking about how we can compete effectively in this new reality.
If you could speak directly to policymakers about HEER funds, what would you tell them?
NCMC: HEER funds were critical to our survival in the pandemic. One of the greatest challenges we faced relating to HEER funds was the heavy reporting burden. Having as much information as possible up front helps us to make the best decisions. Lastly, even with the HEER funds, students continue to experience financial hardship.
Serena C. Klempin is a research associate at the Community College Research Center and a lead researcher on the ARCC Network survey on pandemic relief funds.
