Education Policy, Business and Technology

Judge Rejects Citizenship Restriction on CARES Funding

Inside Higher Ed: A federal judge for the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction Friday ordering that the Department of Education could not deny funding authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to a Bunker Hill Community College student based on her immigration status. The student, Farah Noerand, came to the U.S. from Haiti following an earthquake in 2010 and holds temporary protected status in the U.S.

U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin rejected the Education Department's contention that only students who qualify for Title IV federally funded financial aid qualify for CARES Act emergency relief funding -- a determination by the department that has prevented noncitizens, including TPS holders and beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, from accessing the funds.

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