Two members of JFF’s Policy Leadership Trust, Russell Lowery-Hart and Madeline Pumariega, recently co-authored an opinion column for Inside Higher Ed about how to make the most of the $39.6 billion in funding for colleges and universities that Congress recently authorized as part of the American Rescue Plan.

“As community college leaders, we are heartened to see the federal government take action on this crucial issue,” they write, but then they point out that spending the money wisely will be a big responsibility: “With this infusion of federal funding, we now have a challenge ahead of us. Institutions face the daunting task of disbursing those billions of dollars in ways that can actually help the millions of students still reeling from a year racked by financial, academic, and personal challenges.”

They go on to advise colleges and universities to use American Rescue Plan funds to achieve three goals: address basic needs, close the digital divide, and build an integrated support system for students.