Merrimack College Receives $3.8 Million in FEMA Reimbursement for COVID-19 Expenses

Merrimack College Collegiate Church of Christ the Teachers. (Creative Commons, Merrimack College.)

Merrimack College is receiving nearly $3.8 million in federal COVID-19 aid as reimbursement for the cost of testing students and staff during the pandemic.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s public assistance grant specifically covers the cost of contracting to provide regular testing to students, faculty and staff between January and May 2021, as well as the cost of purchasing an app to notify people of their test results and purchasing rapid test kits.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist the Merrimack College with its testing program,” said FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich. “Robust testing is part of the toolkit of public health measures that—coupled with increased vaccinations—will help us defeat the coronavirus pandemic.”

Officials said FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency. So far, the agency has provided more than $913 million in grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the Commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

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