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William Paterson receives $1M to help students impacted by COVID
Kimberly Redmond//February 1, 2023
William Paterson University received $1 million in federal aid to support students whose finances were heavily impacted by the pandemic.
In a Jan. 26 press release, the public university said the funding will help ensure students can continue their studies and graduate despite experiencing financial setbacks during the extended public health crisis.
After William Paterson University requested strategic community funding from the federal government, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th District, and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, also a Democrat, advocated for the school and helped ensure its needs were met.
William Paterson University President Richard Helldobler thanked Sherrill and Menendez “for helping to secure this vital funding” and described the legislators as “strong allies of public higher education in New Jersey.”
“By allowing more students to remain enrolled at William Paterson University and ultimately attain their degree, these funds are an important investment in the future of these students, their families, and in New Jersey,” Helldobler said.
According to the university, the funding will be allocated toward need-based scholarships, campus housing, grants for meals, books and transportation and on-campus support programming aimed at ensuring students continue their education.
Sherrill said she was proud to have led efforts in the House of Representatives “to cut through bureaucratic red tape and secure direct federal funding for local projects, like this one for William Paterson University.” The congresswoman went on to thank the university for proposing an initiative that “will make college more affordable for New Jersey families.”
Menendez noted that the support for William Paterson University is part of the Fiscal Year 2023 funding bill, which includes $181 million for community projects throughout the state.
“I was proud to advocate on behalf of William Paterson University to deliver $1 million to provide critical support to students who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic so they can continue their academic pursuits,” he said.
