BMCC awarded Pacific Power grant to shore up aid to students
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
EASTERN OREGON – (Release by BMCC) Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) received funding from the Pacific Power Foundation to directly support students during last spring’s unexpected transition to distance education and the nationwide shutdown in response to COVID-19. Funding went to student employees who lost employment during spring term of 2020, reimbursing them for lost wages.
Where CARES Act funding paid out Federal Work Study students for lost wages, it did not cover students who were employed by the college directly. BMCC employed 31 students that fit this situation. The funding from Pacific Power Foundation made it possible to provide a small stipend for each student employee to support personal costs.
The grants aid made a significant difference for BMCC students during an uncertain transition. Many applied the stipend toward rent, childcare or textbooks. This funding provided financial security when most students needed help maintaining their lives while remaining in their college program.
Emergency relief funds through the CARES Act are still available to students. Current students can find information and request Emergency Needs Stimulus Funds up to $300 at bluecc.edu/Relief-Funds.
The Pacific Power Foundation is one of the largest utility-endowed foundations in the United States. The foundation was created in 1988 by PacifiCorp, an electric utility serving 1.8 million customers in six Western states as Rocky Mountain Power (Utah, Wyoming and Idaho) and Pacific Power (Oregon, Washington and California). The foundation’s mission, through charitable investments, is to support the growth and vitality of the communities served by Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power. For more information, visit www.rockymountainpower.net/foundation or www.pacificpower.net/foundation
