FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas institutions of higher learning, including the University of Arkansas have begun to receive its share of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, U of A Chancellor Joe Steinmetz announced in a letter to the campus community on Monday, April 20. 

Of the $130 million the state received in federal stimulus aid, about $15 million has been allocated to the U of A. Half of that aid will go directly to students for student support. 

"We are still developing criteria for, and the mechanisms by which, students will be able to access these funds," Chancellor Steinmetz said. "We are working as hard as we can as fast as we can to make these funds available to those hardest hit by the crisis."

The chancellor's message to the campus and other updates can be found on the university's Coronavirus Update site.

TEMPORARY HOUSING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS

The U of A is working to provide temporary emergency housing for campus police officers and other first responders that are at a higher risk to contract COVID-19. Up to 150 rooms will be available on a rolling basis.

Central EMS is currently on board with the partnership, while the City of Fayetteville and other entities in the county may soon join in.

CELEBRATION AND RECOGNITION

April is usually a month where many colleges host alumni award events and recognize the successes of students and faculty for their outstanding achievements. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis has caused these events to be postponed, cancelled or held virtually. However, each should still be recognized for their importance to our community and the world.

"These are important events that tie our campus to our community and larger world, and it's unfortunate they have been subsumed by this crisis," Chancellor Steinmetz said.

Those events include the annual Take Back the Night march, which creates awareness of sexual and relationship violence, Earth Day, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and Razorback Remembrance, which provides a forum for remembering students who passed away during the preceding biennium. 

For the latest updates and information, please visit the university's Coronavirus Update site. You can also send questions to feedback@uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 3 percent of colleges and universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.