WASHINGTON (WSIL) – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $218 million to Illinois colleges and universities for emergency financial aid to students.

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) made the announcement Tuesday.

The funding comes from the "Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund" authorized by the CARES Act.

Colleges and universities are to use the funding to provide cash grants to students impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. According to a release from the lawmakers, the grants can be used "to cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations, including things like course materials and technology, food, housing, health care, and childcare."

“College students are experiencing unprecedented disruptions to their education due to this pandemic and it’s especially harmful for students already struggling to make ends meet. I’m pleased this funding has quickly been made available to provide direct cash relief for students in need,” Sen. Dick Durbin said. “Senator Duckworth and I remain committed to finding more legislative solutions to provide additional relief for students and colleges.”

“Like all of us, college students are working to navigate the public health and economic crisis we are currently in, and for low-income students and families this can be especially difficult,” added Sen. Tammy Duckworth. “I’m proud to work with Senator Durbin to advocate for federal support for the students who need it most right now.”

Each college or university will determine which students receive the cash grants. A list of allocations can be found here.