When it comes to education, the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged schools, it’s students, teachers and the communities they support. Colleges and universities were especially crippled due to their dependency on the number of students enrolled, and their monetary influence on campus. Sure, every higher education institution offers online classes in this day and age. But it's the on-campus presence, or lack thereof, that has a huge impact on the financial stability of these colleges and universities.

However, now some state governments are stepping to heed the call of these struggling institutions in a big way.

California’s $500 Million Dollar Student Housing Initiative

The state of California, for example, approved more than $500 million to aid the housing crisis students face throughout the state’s public university system. The legislation includes a one-time grant that will fund all community colleges, as well as dedicate 30% to the California State University system and 20% to the University of California system. Additionally, the amount low-income students pay for rent would be capped based on the median income of the area their institution location. Widely seen as a major relief effort to assist thousands who are attending these schools from other parts of the state, country and the world due to the housing costs that would otherwise make it nearly impossible for students to afford them.

The Golden State is not alone in these efforts to lessen the financial burden many students face due to COVID-19.

Michigan Approves $135 Million To Stimulate Higher Ed Enrollment and Graduation Rates

Michigan has joined the fight with its plan to inject more than $135 million into the state’s public colleges and universities by creating a series of programs that all have a similar purpose - getting more prospective students enrolled, and help them to graduate. A bipartisan agreement struck between the state’s legislative body and Governor Gretchen Whitmer approves the measure in favor of increased funding to all public academic institutions in the state by 1% as well as providing a one-time 4% investment aimed at jump-starting these new programs known as Michigan Reconnect and Futures for Frontliners. According to Gov. Whitmer, these initiatives set the stage to aid more than 160,000 Michigan students with a “tuition-free path to higher education and skills training.”

Other states are expected to follow suit with legislative measures designed specifically around challenges faced by their own academic institutions and their respective students - a sign that the need for higher education in today’s increasingly unpredictable social landscape is more important than ever.