LIT grant to help displaced students

Effective immediately, a $300,000 grant allocated to Lamar Institute of Technology will help displaced LIT students who are Texas residents, so they can upskill and quickly return to the workforce, an announcement from the college celebrated Jan. 11.

The grant, supported by a portion of an $18.1 million allocation to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) from Gov. Greg Abbott’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, also helps Texas students who previously left higher education institutions without completing postsecondary credentials. Through a competitive process, 40 applicants representing 49 institutions were selected for the awards, THECB said.

The funding, to be disbursed to students in amounts between $500 and $2,500 per semester, is earmarked for tuition and fees for those pursuing their degree or certificate at LIT. Students must be Texas residents enrolled full or part-time in an eligible undergraduate or short-term workforce credential program. They must complete a FASFA form, demonstrate financial need and should have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic has imposed its own set of unique hardships upon the residents Southeast Texas,” LIT President Dr. Lonnie L. Howard said. “We are pleased to offer this funding to LIT students so they can take the next step towards achieving ‘growth and excellence’ by ‘getting a degree that works.’”