Hudson County Community College Erases Financial Balances for 4,800 Students

On Jul 6, 2021

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has expunged $4,861,188 in outstanding financial balances for approximately 4,800 students. The forgiven debt covers all outstanding balances for the Spring, Summer, and Fall 2020, as well as Spring 2021 semesters, when the pandemic imposed catastrophic challenges that disproportionately impacted students and residents of Hudson County and metropolitan New York.

HCCC President Dr. Chris Reber said the College did not use grade-point averages or any other qualifiers in determining whose outstanding balances should be forgiven. “COVID-19 has impacted our students and our community physically, emotionally, and economically, and eradicating all students’ outstanding financial balances was simply the right thing to do,” he stated.

The College utilized funding provided through the Higher Education Relief Fund of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), also known as the CARES Act. The U.S. Department of Education allows colleges and universities to use this funding for any component of students’ attendance, or for emergency costs that have arisen because of the pandemic, including tuition, food, housing, health care, and child care.

Dr. Reber said that the College has distributed nearly $8 million in CARES Act funding to more than 5,200 individual students to date, with additional funding and support for students forthcoming. “Hudson County Community College is committed to meeting the academic, social, economic, and emotional needs of all of our students. We are doing all we can to remove barriers that students encounter in achieving their academic and career dreams,” he stated.

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