The COVID-19 pandemic put enormous pressure on community colleges and their students. Many students faced unexpected costs, job loss, and disruptions to their education. To help, the federal government created the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund, which sent nearly $25 billion to community colleges over three years. This study looks at how those funds were used by analyzing spending records from almost 1,000 colleges nationwide and survey responses from 170 colleges in six states.
Findings show that about 90% of community colleges used nearly all of their HEER funds. The majority of the money went directly to students in the form of emergency aid, helping them pay for housing, food, technology, and other basic needs. Colleges also used funds to keep operations running, improve technology for online learning, and expand supports such as tutoring and mental health services. Colleges made an effort to prioritize students with the greatest financial need, and many reported that the aid was highly effective in helping students stay enrolled and manage hardships.
Now that HEER funds have ended, many colleges are struggling to continue the programs and supports built during the pandemic, especially emergency grants and mental health services. Findings suggest that while short-term federal relief was utilized, there are ongoing gaps in resources that put community college students at risk. Future policies should build on the lessons of HEER to ensure sustained funding and reduce long-standing inequities in higher education.