Some students got a pretty huge graduation gift from a university in Ohio.
Wilberforce University, a private university between Columbus and Cincinnati, will forgive student loans for 2020 and 2021 graduates.
That means more than $375,000 has been erased.
President Elfred Anthony Pinkard made the announcement Saturday (June 5), following commencement exercises. New alumni learned “that their debt and other debt owed to the university by students from 2020 and 2021 has been settled and carries a zero balance,” according to information from Wilberforce University.
“As these graduates begin their lives as responsible adults, we are honored to be able to give them a fresh start by relieving their student debt to the university,” Pinkard said in a statement.
The move is possible through scholarships and other institutional funding sources to help students with higher education finances, the university states. Wilberforce University relieved students via the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) through the CARES Act during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I couldn’t believe it when he said it. It’s a blessing,” 2021 Alumnus Rodman Allen said. “I know God will be with me. I’m not worried. I can use that money and invest it into my future.”
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