Linda Puga
campus editor
A school bus drives away at 6:45 a.m. carrying two young boys. Their mother gets the youngest child, 2-year-old Josiah, ready for daycare. She gets ready, heads to work, comes back to do homework, study and pack snacks, all before heading back to the daycare at 5 p.m. to pick up her boys.
This is a typical day in the life of South student Jennifur Johnson.
As a student, Johnson said she works fewer hours to give herself time to prioritize her academics and her family. So, when she heard about the COVID-19 Relief Grant — which provides $35 million in aid to students — she was ecstatic.
“I am a single mother of three boys and I am working while going to school,” Johnson said. “It was truly a blessing to receive.”
TCC students recently received their COVID-19 Relief Grant, funded by the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II to award students with a $1,000 stimulus for the spring semester.
This grant may be used for tuition, food, healthcare and any other needed expenses.
To be identified as an eligible recipient, students must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizen, have a completed FAFSA, demonstrate financial need and be enrolled in one credit hour. Students will be automatically notified about the grant and no additional applications are needed.
“The money I received will be helpful with things such as gas for the car, a daycare bill, an electricity bill, make sure the boys have everything they need and then I will be saving the rest,” Johnson said.
After dinner, playtime and getting ready for bed, the boys get some quiet time which is when Johnson gets a chance to finish her school work for the night.
With the ongoing pandemic and financial difficulties, Johnson said her little family has grown to follow a daily routine to keep progressing when plans change.
“Having come from homeless shelters, that part of my life was not easy to go through,” Johnson said. “I made the best of what our situation was and made sure that my boys were taken care of and happy.”
South student Alfredo Ornelas also thinks the COVID-19 Relief Grant came at a time when many students needed it.
“COVID has definitely changed things, to say the least, so this is a great opportunity for students who are in financial need to take advantage and take care of some expenses,” Ornelas said.
Ornelas felt relieved after getting the email that he was eligible to receive the grant so he didn’t have to go through the process of applying for it, rather it was given based on his financial aid.
As far as his grant, Ornelas said he will be putting the money in savings plus putting some towards his hobby and career pursuit of acting and filmmaking.
For information about eligibility, go to TCC’s Coronavirus Updates page on its website.
