Federal Aid Arrives, Remote for Summer

by Office of the President
April 24, 2020
Summer sunflowers

Dear Campus Community, 

As we begin to close out Week 4, I want to share some recent decisions and good news.

You may have heard that the federal CARES Act included funds to assist students with educational expenses. Evergreen received its funds this week and will begin distributing them to students next week. These grants will be between $500 and $750 and require a FAFSA. If you have not completed this financial aid document, you will be asked to do so. Most students will not need to take any action to receive these funds. Students, please watch your email carefully for more information.

This week, Governor Inslee previewed plans for Washington’s eventual safe return to public life after the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order is lifted. Even though our state has seen some success in moderating the spread of the virus, there is still much uncertainty about timing.  In order to best serve students while keeping our community safe, we are now making the following decisions:

  • Evergreen will continue remote instruction through summer quarter 2020, with select exceptions for highly experiential courses offered in-person for the second session, if conditions allow. Please note that this decision is prompting us to review current offerings published in the summer catalog. Any needed changes or updates should be listed by May 8, 2020.
  • The Academic Fair, typically held at the Olympia campus, will now be held remotely on May 27, 2020. 
  • Registration week for summer and fall quarters will now begin on June 1, 2020. 
  • I am proposing to the Board of Trustees that we freeze tuition for summer. If the Board accepts this recommendation, tuition rates for summer 2020 will be the same as for the 2019-2020 regular academic year.

We don’t yet have enough information to make a decision about whether we will be able to return to in-person instruction for fall quarter 2020.  I appreciate your patience while we assess the evolving situation, consult with peer institutions and the governor’s office. In the meantime, resources to help you navigate the current situation can be found on the college’s COVID-19 pages. 

I am grateful to you for the inspired teaching and learning which continues this quarter at Evergreen. Thank you for your incredible service to students and your kindness to each other, while we do our best to stay healthy and keep safe.

All best,

George

George S. Bridges
President
The Evergreen State College

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