Letter to Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, and Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader - Congressman Neguse, Colorado Delegation Members Call for Additional Financial Support for Higher Education Institutions and Students

Letter

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader McConnell,

As you prepare future coronavirus relief packages, we write to request additional support for
higher education institutions and students. While we are grateful for the relief provided in the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, more must be done to ensure
Colorado's students and higher education institutions receive the financial support they need at
this critical time.

Colorado is fortunate to have a diverse array of community colleges, technical schools, research
institutions, and public and private colleges that have served our constituents for decades.
Colorado's colleges and universities play an essential role in our state, contributing more than
$20 billion to Colorado's economy and providing students with the skills and training they need
to be contributing members to our workforce and communities. Our institutions of higher
education are also the largest employers throughout our state, and on the forefront of the nation's most cutting-edge research, including a treatment and a vaccine for COVID-19.

Unfortunately, Colorado's higher education institutions are already experiencing tremendous
costs due to the coronavirus pandemic, totaling $349 million so far this year. Even with muchneeded relief from the CARES Act, Colorado's higher education institutions face a $274 million shortfall for the remainder of the current academic year. They anticipate additional revenue declines in the years ahead due to disruptions to enrollment, research, auxiliary services, and state budget shortfalls.

With that in mind, we respectfully request an additional $47 billion in emergency higher
education funding split between students (through need-based financial aid and direct support for
tuition, room and board, and fees) and campuses, higher education centers, and institutions of
higher education. We also request direct assistance to institutions serving rural communities
most impacted by the pandemic given their critical and unique role in the state's local and
regional economies.

The CARES Act provided critical funding for COVID-19 related research at universities and
national labs in Colorado and across the country. Colorado's research universities have
repurposed and redoubled their efforts to combat this virus. At the same time, other research labs and operations have slowed or shutdown. As future relief packages are negotiated, we urge you to provide $26 billion in emergency funding to federal research agencies to sustain research
personnel, including graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, as well as operating costs for
research labs and services at research universities and scientific institutions.

COVID-19 has also severely disrupted our state and local economies and led to significant losses
in revenue. Over the next three years, our state is forecasting a $7 billion state budget shortfall.
As state and local budgets reel from the abrupt halt to economic activity, public colleges and
universities are at risk of additional severe and devastating budget cuts. To that end, we
respectfully request robust funding for state and local governments with as much flexibility as
possible for how that funding is used.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.