Dear Neighbor,Recently, the Department of Education announced that colleges and universities in Virginia have received over $948 million in American Rescue Plan funds over the past year – one of the largest one-time investments ever provided to our colleges and universities. These funds, including nearly $150 million for institutions right here in Virginia’s 11th District, were provided through the American Rescue Plan’s Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). I am pushing to ensure these funds help make colleges more affordable. The American Rescue Plan requires half of the money to be used to provide direct financial relief to students, but the Department of Education expects far more will ultimately be used for that purpose. These investments are already having a significant impact on institutions and students. A recent survey of college presidents by the American Council on Education found that HEERF assistance enabled: 93% of colleges to provide direct financial support to students at risk of dropping out 81% of colleges to keep student net prices close to pre-pandemic levels  70% of colleges to continue to employ faculty, staff, and other employees otherwise at risk of unemployment  63% of colleges to keep students and faculty safe by purchasing COVID-19 tests, health screenings, and health care  Take a look at how these critical dollars were allocated across the Commonwealth:COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: George Mason University: $64,020,261  Virginia Commonwealth University: $57,078,300  Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University: $49,692,797  Old Dominion University: $48,294,073COMMUNITY COLLEGES: Northern Virginia Community College: $83,561,195  Tidewater Community College: $48,108,665  J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College: $17,153,920  Thomas Nelson Community College: $15,845,977  John Tyler Community College: $15,033,203 HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES: Norfolk State University: $52,248,428  Virginia State University: $39,482,142  Hampton University: $31,205,244  Virginia Union University: $11,866,504  Virginia University of Lynchburg: $6,322,150 Overall, this funding is vital to allowing Virginia institutions of higher learning to fully recover from the impacts of COVID-19, and to ensuring students across Virginia can access the higher education they deserve.That’s a mission we can all get behind.Please continue to take care of yourselves and each other, and remember that my office is here to help. Be sure to visit my website for more information and resources. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you need assistance, please don't hesitate to call us at (703) 256-3071.