By Jordan Kendall
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Gov. Larry Hogan announced today a $10 million grant for Maryland community colleges to expand education opportunities and workforce development programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The money will be divided between the 16 community colleges in the state.
This grant was part of a $45.6 million investment by the state into the education system in June to assist students affected by the pandemic.
The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) is a federal grant that is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) that Congress passed and President Trump signed into law in March providing $2.2 billion to help anyone financially impacted by the pandemic.
“Thanks to our state’s world-class academic community, Maryland continues to be home to one of the most highly educated workforces in America,” Hogan said in a statement. “Now more than ever, it is critical that we offer all Marylanders every opportunity to get the tools they need to stay competitive in the job market, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Hogan said he has committed $45.7 million in GEER funding as well as $300 million for K-12 and higher education through the CARES Act
The grant will help community colleges expand workforce development courses and continue professional education leading to government or industry certification or licensure, the governor’s statement said. It focuses on those impacted by the pandemic who lost their jobs.
While the grant is focused on workforce development and education opportunities, the colleges have some flexibility in how to use it. They can use it in areas such as direct aid to students, materials and equipment, salaries, marketing, and technology training and certification.
“Countless Marylanders will have the opportunity to benefit from these courses and professional training, which would not have been available to them without this critical funding,” Maryland Secretary of Higher Education Dr. James D. Fielder said in a statement.
Each college received at least $250,000 with three colleges receiving over $1 million. The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) received the most with a grant of over $1.4 million. Prince Georges Community College and Montgomery College also received over $1.3 million each.
CCBC President Dr. Sandra Kurtinitis said she was “deliriously happy” when she heard the news, and said she was grateful that Hogan understands the importance of community colleges.
“It will help pay their way to get retrained or get training,” Kurtinitis said in an interview today. “So, if you’ve lost your job and the only way to get a new job is to get some kind of training, it might be hard to pay for yourself so this gives us the ability to pay for it.”