The University of Texas (UT) at Austin announced it has forgiven the debt of 8,144 students, amounting to nearly $5 million, or about $610 per student, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
According to KVUE, UT on Dec. 15 notified students who were eligible that their outstanding balances and loans for fall 2021 were forgiven. Qualifying students were those who have been enrolled since March 13, 2020.
"Discharge of the past due debts means all financial bars have been cleared," said Kathleen Harrison, who is the assistant director of communications for the office of the executive vice president and provost. "By eliminating financial bars generated from prior balances, enrollment disruption is reduced as students work to complete their degrees.”
The Statesman reported that the school used part of its share from the third round of funding for the federal Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, as part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan approved by Congress in March.
The fund was part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act in March 2020 focused on financial concerns for colleges and universities during the pandemic.
According to the Statesman, the $2.3 million discharged to 5,353 UT undergraduates in the month of December was added to about $2.6 million for 2,247 undergraduates and 544 students who had been discharged previously for balances before the fall.