Slippery Rock University has received about $10.2 million in federal relief funding.

A new wave of funding came at the beginning of the year with the passing of a $2.3 trillion stimulus package allocated for pandemic relief, which included funding for public education.

Just like with the funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020, the funding SRU received was broken into two parts.

“The first priority is to help the students in need, and then we'll figure out what we'll have to do on campus as well,” said SRU President William Behre.

The first portion of about $3.68 million provides emergency financial aid for students.

According to Carrie Birckbichler, SRU's chief financial and data officer, this allocation is roughly the same amount received last year.

These funds will be divided into grants and will be distributed the same way they were in the fall.

“They are grants, so they will not need to be repaid,” Birckbichler said.

The first wave of grants will automatically be given to students who have an already determined financial need, regardless of the pandemic.

Birckbichler said the need for these students is established through their Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. It is recommended for students to submit the application if they have not done so already.

The second wave of grants will be available by application for students who don't typically have a need, but whose financial stability has shifted because of the pandemic.

“That's for someone with changing circumstances,” Birckbichler said.

The second portion of the federal funding is allocated for institutional uses and has come in somewhat higher this year at about $7.6 million.

Birckbichler said last year the portion was around the same as the students' financial aid portion — about $3.6 million.

Behre said the extra funding comes as SRU and many universities across the state have been tasked with developing new virus testing procedures that establish not only baselines through universal testing, but also routine testing for screening purposes throughout the semester.

“We didn't have a testing budget,” Behre said. “By definition, it's going to be a shortfall, if there was never a budget for it.”

Not only will the increased number of tests incur additional costs, but Behre said other investments have also gone into their testing procedures, such as hiring more staff and administrators to conduct and organize the testing.

Behre estimated spending for the umbrella of testing could be between $1 million to $2 million.

“There's a substantial commitment to testing,” he said.

Also, through communication with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, SRU has volunteered to become a vaccine distribution center in the future, which may also add cost to SRU.

Behre said there has not been any indication about if or when the university may be needed for vaccine administration, but he sees the value of providing that service not only for their students, but also the community.

“It's essential to the health of our institution,” Behre said. “Being part of the infrastructure that helps us get back to normal seems to be the right thing to do.”

While the student aid portion of the funding has fairly straightforward requirements, there is still some uncertainty revolving around the institution's portion, according to Birckbichler.

Last year, the funding could not be used to cover revenue losses, such as those from having reduced on-campus housing.

Birckbichler said that may change for this installment of funding, but she and her colleagues are still waiting on the official guidelines. She said those guidelines are important, especially because every cent spent of the funding is audited and examined later.

“It's still very fluid, and we're waiting on guidance for that,” Birckbichler said.