Seven local colleges and trade schools were awarded more than $900,000 in federal grants to help underwrite public health and safety plans for reopening shuttered campuses.

The grants that flowed through the state are part of a $28 million pool of federal CARES Act money state officials set aside to help the hundreds of colleges and trade schools struggling to resume classes either online or in person this fall.

Local recipients included: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, $357,986; Saint Vincent College: $80,119; Seton Hill University: $81,630; Douglas Education Center, $12,039; Triangle Tech Inc.-Greensburg, $9,928; United Career Institute (West Virginia Junior College)-Irwin, $7,644; and Westmoreland County Community College, $360,511.

State officials said grant awards are based on total enrollment and the percent of economically disadvantaged students served in each institution.

Gov. Tom Wolf announced the availability of the grants last week and promised $500,000 would be set aside for institutions involved in adult basic education.

State Rep. Joe Petrarca, D-Vandergrift, announced the local grant recipients. He said the grants should help colleges deal with mounting costs of operation even as activity on many campuses declines.

State officials said grants may be used to buy protective equipment, hand sanitizer/cleaning products; equipment or technology to take classes online; to install barriers in buildings; or to buy health apps to assist in contact tracing and monitoring students.

“Like all of us, these colleges, universities and organizations have been asked to create new policies and procedures in an ever-changing environment. This funding will hopefully help them deliver a quality education to their students — even if it’s not the typical in-the-classroom situation,” Petrarca said.

College leaders are anxiously awaiting the start of classes to assess whether the economic downturn and changes to their operations will have an effect on fall enrollment.

The grant program earmarked for reopening campuses represents the second pool of federal CARES Act money state officials earmarked to support higher education in Pennsylvania. Earlier, state lawmakers dedicated $30 million to the state’s need-based student grants.

Officials with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency said the infusion of federal dollars boosted the maximum grant for 2020-21 from $4,123 to $4,525.

Colleges also received direct CARES Act subsidies to help underwrite millions of dollars in losses they incurred when they were forced to go online last spring and refund room and board fees.

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