Press Releases

U.S. Congressman Garret Graves secured a commitment from the U.S. Department of Education to ensure flexibility in federal funds for Louisiana colleges and universities.

Universities suffered financial losses due to the pandemic and strict rules by the U.S. Department of Education prevented the full utilization and reimbursement of some losses and expenses. Graves worked with the U.S. Department of Education to help reexamine their interpretation of the law, which will help direct millions of dollars in federal funding to support students and operating budgets at Louisiana schools. For example, the impending loss in revenues for Nicholls State University would have impacted employee salaries, benefits and scholarships.

Without this fix, Nicholls State University may have been forced to leave millions of dollars on the table. They are now eligible to draw down $1.1 million to help offset losses related to COVID.

"Federal rules and bureaucracies coming out of Washington can complicate our ability to solve problems. The pandemic has been a strain on our communities and caused unique problems across the country. We have secured billions of dollars to help small businesses, the elderly, overworked healthcare employees, parents and many others across the state. But if these funds can't be accessed, they are useless. We worked with Nicholls and the U.S. Department of Education to provide needed flexibility on federal funding to help return to some degree of normalcy," Graves said.

"Prioritizing federal funding and flexibility for our colleges and universities to mitigate financial disruptions remains critical for us," said Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed. "We appreciate the support of Congressman Graves and the U.S. Department of Education and applaud his continued commitment to talent development across our state through actions like this that strategically target our unique needs as we work daily to better serve our students."

"Our nine member institutions and the students we serve have faced immense challenges navigating the pandemic the past 21 months. Financial strain is near the top of those. We appreciate Congressman Graves for securing this additional flexibility which allows us to further our mission and, as a result, to prepare our state and her people for future disruptions," said Dr. Jim Henderson, University of Louisiana System President and CEO.

"As a University, we have been able to navigate this pandemic because our campus community cares for one another and Rep. Graves is a prime example of a leader who cares deeply for the communities he serves," said Dr. Jay Clune, Nicholls State University President.

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