GRAMBLING, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — Grambling University on Sunday announced it will forgive all student balances incurred from spring 2020 through summer 2021.
The forgiveness amount will total around $1.5 million, according to GSU Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Martin Lemelle.
Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will be used to fund the program, Lemelle said.
In utilizing those funds to forgive students’ debt, Lemelle said, “we are supporting our students’ current educational goals while also investing in their long-term success.”
Canceling the debt means more than helping students over a financial hurdle, he said, but will have an impact on the entire student experience, “from mental health to retention and graduation.”
In order to be eligible for forgiveness, the debt balance must be the obligation of the student and not a third party, such as foreign government agencies or veterans affairs.
Grambling received approximately $87 million in debt relief, after the December 2020 passage of the Omnibus Appropriations and Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act, which included the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Capital Finance Debt Relief Act.
A growing number of Historically Black Colleges and Universities have recognized that the COVID-19 pandemic has created financial and emotional challenges for students and their families, so have forgiven debt to help students complete their educations.
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