Cumberland County Commissioners voted to award three Cumberland County higher education institutions $2.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding on September 29, 2021 through the Higher Education American Rescue Plan Recovery Grant Program.

The county sent applications for submission to Shippensburg and Messiah Universities, Penn State Dickinson Law, Dickinson, and Central Penn Colleges.

Three institutions submitted applications by the deadline and were awarded the following:

• Central Penn College - $1.4 million for job training improvements
• Shippensburg University - $500,000 to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing
• Messiah University - $600,000 for projected costs of COVID-19 vaccines, testing and medical equipment.

Grants Awarded Press Release