YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Eastern Gateway Community College has announced free summer college for students in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Jefferson Counties.

According to the release, the EGCC Summer Guarantee will ensure no out-of-pocket costs for students. That is possible through the federal CARES Act and covers tuition, fees and books.

Eastern Gateway will receive just under $1 millionfrom the CARES Act.

New and continuing students in those counties are eligible and the "last dollar" scholarship will cover all costs after Pell Grants and other financial aid eligibility is determined.

The program is also available to students enrolled at other colleges or universities that are back home for the summer.

“The federal stimulus bill, the CARES Act, provided funding to colleges to help cover the costs of transitioning to online learning during the coronavirus pandemic and to ensure students continue to receive their education, especially those students facing economic hardship,” said Interim President Michael Geoghegan.“

88 percent of Eastern Gateway students were taking at least one online course before the coronavirus pandemic made distance learning the new normal. They say the disruptions to campus operations were significant but only a small number of classes were unable to transition to online learning.

To be eligible for the EGCC Summer Guarantee, students in the service district must have completed a 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submitted an EGCC online application available here.

Summer classes begin June 1.