Relief funds available

This fall, Kankakee Community College is helping its students get back to the classroom and “back on their feet” financially.

Pandemic relief funds

“The pandemic created many financial barriers,” said Michelle Hasik, KCC director of financial aid. “We want to help our students move forward with their educational goals. We are able to draw from several sources to help students cover college expenses such as tuition, books, housing, and childcare. In most cases, we are able to provide substantial aid to assist our students.”

The federal government’s pandemic relief packages provided most of the money the college is now distributing.

Students enrolled in Fall 2021 at KCC can apply for financial assistance to pay for their tuition and books, as well as various other expenses while pursuing their higher education goals.

“We will attempt to offer students sufficient funding from a variety of resources to ensure their academic journey continues,” Hasik said.

The college has received Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF II) under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA). They do not impact a student’s eligibility for other federal student aid, such as the Pell grant, which is calculated by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They do not have to be paid back.

Students who enroll for Fall 2021 at KCC can apply for this financial assistance and find additional Information at https://www.kcc.edu/tuition-and-aid. Requests will be evaluated based on need and verification of enrollment.

In the near future, additional funding of $3.2 million for Fall 2021 students will become available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) HEERF III.

“Our programs stand among the best,” said Dr. Jose da Silva, KCC vice president for student affairs. “Students in our career-oriented programs are finding jobs, and our transfer students do very well after entering four-year colleges. Having students meet their goals is great. And everyone wins when students are able to afford attending college on the way to meeting their education goals.”

In all, KCC will distribute nearly $4.5 million in HEERF funds.

Free tuition for select programs

KCC is a college partner for the new H1B One Workforce Grant. It is federally funded, and pays all tuition, fees, books, and supplies for qualified students in selected credit and non-credit programs. The selected programs lead to jobs in manufacturing-related industries. Participants can enroll in credit or non-credit programs which train for occupations within the grant’s occupation parameters.

Program qualification includes residence in northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, 17 years of age and older, not currently in high school, and unemployed or underemployed. The program also targets underrepresented groups including minorities, women, individuals living in disadvantaged communities, new Americans, and justice-involved individuals.

More information is available from Mark Anderson, KCC director of manufacturing training at KCC, manderson@kcc.edu.

KCC is the administrator of the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, which offers up to $10,000 toward tuition, books, fees and other expenses to qualified individuals, including those affected by layoffs and plant closings, low income individuals and youth ages 16-24. More information and eligibility requirements are at https://wioa.kcc.edu.

Tuition freeze

KCC also froze tuition for the 2021-22 school year. Tuition and fees are $165 per credit hour for Fall 2021.

More than 40 percent of KCC students receive financial aid, which includes state and federal awards, scholarships and loans. According to the most recent statistics available, the average award in 2019-20 school year was $3,855. More than 80 percent of awards did not have to be repaid.