Northwestern Michigan College has now awarded more than $1 million in CARES Act emergency funding to students facing economic challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. 705 students have received awards as of September 8, for an average award of $1,500 per student.

NMC received $2.1 million in federal CARES Act funds for emergency student relief and institutional support in late April. Those dollars must be spent by May 2021. At least 50 percent of that is dedicated to providing emergency aid to students for food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child care expenses. It cannot be used to cover tuition expenses.

“We are incredibly proud of the commitment and care for our students from across the college community and the work to get the help to those in need as quickly as possible” NMC President Nick Nissley said in a statement.

Along with the federal funds, the NMC Foundation is also attempting to raise an additional $1 million to meet the needs of students and the college in response to the pandemic. These funds target: student support including scholarships, food pantry access and flexible funding for emergency needs; academic support to increase capacity of key areas including the Writing & Reading Center and Educational Media Technologies; and program stabilization to ensure programs continue to operate.