Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BEAUMONT — Local residents who have had their education impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic could receive $2,500 to return to school at Lamar Institute of Technology.

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.

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.

Those who would like to apply for the funds can complete an application to LIT at ApplyTexas.org, complete a FAFSA at FAFSA.Ed.gov (LIT School Code = 036273) and contact SAS by sending an email to Registration@lit.edu with the subject line “GEER Applicant” to indicate interest in the program.

The grant, supported by a portion of an $18.1 million allocation to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board from Gov. Greg Abbott’s Emergency Education Relief 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 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.’”

Texas Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller said, “These strategic investments… will play an important role in supporting Texas students and driving the recovery of the Texas economy. Our Texas institutions are making significant commitments to create programs that keep more students on track to enter the workforce with the high-value credentials and education that tomorrow’s economy will demand.”