College students find Murphy's $60 million COVID aid unfair

by Priyanka Sarkhel

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced $60 million in aid for counties and municipalities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) is going to counties and municipalities that were excluded from the federal government’s CRF allocation plan. The New Jersey state government claims that the CRF will help address extra costs in public health, public safety, overtime, and supplies. 

The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) is supporting the County Boards of Social Services with up to $10 million from the CRF. This money is meant to cover COVID related expenses. 

Here is a list of New Jersey counties and the amount of funds they will be receiving from the CRF.

• Atlantic: $6,318,936
• Burlington: $8,187,352
• Cape May: $1,305,162
• Cumberland: $6,931,225
• Gloucester: $4,858,821
• Hunterdon: $948,183
• Mercer: $12,593,962
• Morris: $8,415,816
• Salem: $1,538,872
• Somerset: $6,367,176
• Sussex: $1,319,462
• Warren: $1,755,034

The allocation of funds was determined by the Local Government Emergency Fund formula, which looks at the COVID-19 infection rates, shortage of funds, the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI), and the population of the county or municipality. 

While the Governor and other New Jersey congressmen have expressed pride and joy over the CRF, many New Jersey residents whose counties were not included in the CRF are confused over what the celebrations are about. 

Rania Rizvi, a Rutgers University student, says that she finds it strange that Middlesex County was not included in the list. 

“Even though it can be said that Middlesex is a lot more affluent than other counties, there are still a lot of people here that are not privileged,” Rizvi said. “There’s a huge homeless problem right in New Brunswick.” 

Rizvi also expressed confusion about why Mercer County is receiving more than $12 million in funds. 

“West Windsor, another affluent town, is in Mercer County. Do they really need $12 million?” Rizvi said. “I understand allocating funds for Trenton, but $12 million? It feels like overkill.” 

Others noted that many of the counties who did receive funds are South Jersey counties, which are predominantly anti-COVID policies. 

Sneha Santosh, a Somerset County native and college sophomore, says that she thinks allocating so much money to anti-COVID policy counties is unfair.

“To be honest, the only reason Murphy is spending any time providing money to those counties is because they are a main draw of tourism in New Jersey,” Santosh said. “Middlesex being completely ignored is terrible because the people in this county actually really need the help, and they will actually follow through with the money.”

Santosh says she thinks the counties with a lack of COVID restrictions will do nothing with the money they are receiving. 

“Those counties have gotten funding because of their status as New Jersey cash counties,” Santosh said. “Murphy is sacrificing lives in order for New Jersey to have acceptable revenue this year.” 

Some noticed how Murphy’s CRF decision, which was announced Oct. 14, 2021, was very close to the gubernatorial election, which Murphy barely won. 

Daniela Tacuri, a Rutgers University student, says it is obvious that Murphy wanted to win red counties over with the CRF. 

“I definitely think he was trying to paint himself in a good light in the Republican counties,” Tacuri said. “Otherwise, it would make no sense to send millions of dollars over to places where they do not even care about COVID.”

Tacuri says there should be more focus on the people who are following the rules.

“Everyone at Rutgers and Middlesex has been wearing masks and getting vaccinated,” Tacuri said. “Why don’t we start by helping the people here?”

Gov. Murphy Provides $60 Million Dollar COVID Relief Fund

Governor Phil Murphy has announced a $60 million COVID relief fund for select New Jersey counties.

The money will be appointed to local government entities who did not receive help from the
federal government’s initial coronavirus relief plan, according to a news release.
The counties included in this CRF plan are Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland,
Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren.

The funding will help with the unexpected increased cost of health and human services, public
safety, overtime, equipment, and supplies due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Allocations for this plan varies. According to the Department of Community Affairs, Mercer
County will receive $12.5 million. And Hunterdon County will get about $900,000, according to
the release.

To determine how funds will be allocated to each county, a formula including statistics about
COVID-19 infection rate, town population, fiscal stress, and mandatory expenditures has all
been taken into account.

The New Jersey Department of Human Services has provided about $10 million to the
Coronavirus Relief Fund to support the Boards of Social Services with COVID-related expenses
such as technology to adapt to increased remote work.

The federal government’s funding plan, known as the CARES Act, did allocate money to the
state of New Jersey, but many counties were overlooked. Until now citizens of these
municipalities were the sole providers for their coronavirus crisis funding.

“We know these funds will be a welcome lifeline of support for essential government services
and New Jersey’s taxpayers,” Murphy says.

Department of Community Affairs Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver says, “We will work to
distribute this relief funding equitably and fairly to our communities as we rebuild the State’s
economy. No one will be left behind.”

Although the money will only be distributed to a select few counties, it will even the field of
funds awarded to everyone- now with all 21 counties being served.

The funds awarded to these local government entities may only cover the expenditures incurred
during the period between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020.

Governor Murphy Provides $60 Million in COVID Relief Funding

 Today, Governor Phil Murphy announced $60 Million in funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for the Local Government Emergency Fund that will be allocated to support counties and municipalities that were excluded from the federal government’s direct CRF allocation plan.  

The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) will also be providing up to $10 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund to support the state’s County Boards of Social Services with COVID-related expenses such as technology to adapt to remote work, expanding to meet growing demand, and supplies and materials to meet COVID-19 health and safety standards. 

Many New Jersey officials are in support of the CRF funding and believe New Jersey residents will benefit from this funding. 

Congressman Donald Norcross says these resources will provide New Jersey’s local governments with funding that will help cover unexpected costs caused by the pandemic. He also says that the funding will help keep first responders and other essential workers safe and on the job. 

Qualifying expenditures for the Local Government Emergency Fund include public safety and health-related expenses, COVID-19-related overtime, increased residential and health-related garbage collection and services, remote working technology, signage and information technology related to the COVID-19 response and recovery, and public health-related retrofit expenses for reopening. 

Congressman Andy Kim says it is important to help communities to stay safe and healthy. She says she will continue to work with her colleagues in Congress to find bipartisan solutions to help New Jersey until the pandemic comes to an end and working people are back on their feet. 

To further assist communities and small businesses in recovery efforts, DCA announced last week a $7.5 million federal appropriation through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for three relief programs to help vulnerable small businesses financially impacted by the pandemic. 

The programs aim to promote the continued recovery and revitalization of communities that currently participate in the Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP), Neighborhood Revitalization Tax Credit Program (NRTC), and Main Street New Jersey Program

The CRF funding will provide support for 13 counties out of the 21 counties in New Jersey. 

The Local Government Emergency Fund allocation formula uses a variety of relevant metrics, including the municipal COVID-19 infection rate, fiscal stress, the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI), population, and public safety and health and human services expenditures share of the budget to determine the amount of funds counties and municipalities receive.

Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs ( DCA) Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver says the DCA will work to distribute the funding equitable and fairly to the communities. “No one will be left behind,” she says.  

The fund allocations by county (including distributions to municipal governments) are listed below.

Atlantic $6,318,936 Burlington $8,187,352 Cape May $1,305,162 Cumberland $6,391,225 Gloucester $4,858,821 Hunterdon $948,183 Mercer $12,593,962 Morris $8,415,816

Salem $1,538,872

Somerset $6,367,176

Sussex $1,319,462 Warren $1,755,034

Govenor Murphy gives $60 million in Covid 19 aid to New Jersey Counties

Local counties in New Jersey that have been greatly impacted by Covid 19 are being granted relief funds in hopes to repairing financial damage the pandemic has caused.

“Local governments have stepped up to meet the needs of their communities throughout this pandemic, and we are strengthening their efforts today with $60 million dollars in direct relief” says Murphy. 

The New Jersey Department of Human Services is also providing up to $10 million in relief funds.

These funds will be used to continue to support covid 19 related expenses and benefit citizens as well.

COVID-related expenses such as technology to adapt to remote work, expanding to meet growing demand, and supplies and materials to meet COVID-19 health and safety standards. 

This is beneficial to many people and businesses considering that many are still uncomfortable with returning to working person because of this pandemic.

The State is trying its best at helping local businesses adjust to the new normal.

Municipalities that are eligible can apply for reimbursement for up to 100% of their eligible costs up to their maximum allocation amount. 

Eligible expenditures must be incurred during the covered period between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020. 

Qualifying expenses for the relief funds include public safety and health-related expenses, COVID-19-related overtime, increased residential and health-related garbage collection and services, remote working technology, signage, and information technology related to the COVID-19 response and recovery.

Applicants can contact the program staff at LGEF@dca.nj.gov to get information on program, program needs, and help with submission of the application. 

To assist small businesses who have been financially impacted by the pandemic approximately $7 million dollars are being allocated through the (Cares) act initiative. 

To decide which counties would receive funds, The Local Government Emergency Fund used data like COVID-19 infection rate, fiscal stress, the Municipal Revitalization Index (MRI), population, and public safety and health records,

12 New Jersey counties will be allocated funds such as Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Morris, Mercer, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren County.  

This is great news for small businesses owners in these because at the brink of the pandemic non-essential businesses were forced to shut down affecting business owners severely.

Besides businesses local communities will benefit from the allocation of funds as well. 

The CARES act program is working together with DCA’s covid 19 relief programs to quickly invest money into small landlord’s, impacted communities in the wake of the pandemic, and business. 

Gov. Murphy Provides $60 Million in Aid to Combat COVID-19

Governor Murphy announced a $60 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund for the Local Government Emergency Fund to aid counties and municipalities that were excluded from government funds.  

The relief funds will help to address the necessary and unexpected needs of the people of New Jersey to combat COVID-19.  

The New Jersey Department of Health Services has also helped by providing $10 million to the fund to help give workers the necessary technology to work remotely and other necessities.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted various counties and local governments in the state. They are now facing an increase in costs for health benefits, health and human services, public safety, overtime, equipment and supplies. 

Governor Murphy believes these funds will help local governments to fight the pandemic and get the people of the state the supplies they need.  

“Local governments have stepped up to meet the needs of their communities throughout this pandemic, and we are strengthening their efforts today with $60 million dollars in direct relief,” said Governor Murphy. “We know these funds will be a welcome lifeline of support for essential government services and New Jersey’s taxpayers.” 

Qualifying expenditures for the Local Government Emergency Fund include public safety and health-related expenses, COVID-19-related overtime, increased residential and health-related garbage collection and services. It also includes remote working technology, signage and information technology related to the COVID-19 response and recovery, and public health-related retrofit expenses for reopening. 

Congressman Daniel Norcross, who alongside Gov. Murphy put the act in place, will give the state the funding to help essential workers and their communities. 

“These resources will provide our local governments with the vital funding needed to help cover unexpected costs from the pandemic and keep our first responders and other essential workers safe and on the job,” said Norcross. “I’ll continue to fight for New Jersey in Congress to ensure our communities get the tools and supplies we need to combat this outbreak and keep residents healthy and secure.” 

The $60 million that will be allocated by using a formula called the Municipal Revitalization Index that uses a variety of relevant metrics, including the municipal COVID-19 infection rate, fiscal stress, population and public safety and health and human services expenditures share of the budget to determine the amount of funds counties and municipalities receive. 

Below is a chart of the counties in New Jersey that will be receiving funding and how much they will be getting according to the index. 

County 

Initial Allocation 

Atlantic 

$6,318,936 

Burlington 

$8,187,352 

Cape May 

$1,305,162 

Cumberland 

$6,391,225 

Gloucester 

$4,858,821 

Hunterdon 

$948,183 

Mercer 

$12,593,962 

Morris 

$8,415,816 

Salem 

$1,538,872 

Somerset 

$6,367,176 

Sussex 

$1,319,462 

Warren 

$1,755,034 

There are some counties left out for the funding including Monmouth, Middlesex and Bergen County.  

To further assist small businesses and communities, DCA announced last week a $7.5 million federal appropriation through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security. DCA's COVID-19 relief programs are part of a coordinated State effort to invest needed dollars into small businesses, small landlords, and impacted communities in the wake of the pandemic. 

Eligible municipalities may also seek and apply for reimbursement for up to 100% of their eligible costs incurred, up to their maximum total allocation amount. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rutgers students are not in favor of tuition increase

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.—The majority of Rutgers students say they dislike the continuous increase of tuition rates. 

 

Many students say they chose to attend the university based on its affordability. Instead of paying out-of-state tuition or private institution fees, students say they chose Rutgers due to its low price and financial aid options.

 

Asiyah Muhammad, a freshmen student, says she chose to attend Rutgers because of its cheaper price tag and proximity to her family. She commutes by car, which allows her to not pay for room and board.  

 

“I chose Rutgers because it was more affordable than the other schools I got accepted into,” says Muhammad. “The only extra fee I pay for is gas, but I usually get some money from my parents.”

 

While some students have financial support from their parents, others rely on financial aid from the state. Junior student Ratchell Sadovnik transferred to Rutgers because of its comfortable tuition rates. She says Rutgers increasing their prices would undermine the reason she transferred. 

 

“My family is not financially stable enough to pay an increased tuition price,” Sadovnik says. “I transferred to Rutgers to save money, not to pay the same [amount].”

 

Some students say the increased tuition rates could hinder their chances to attend graduate school. Since they are paying a lot now, students say they will most likely take a gap year to find extra income. 

 

Senior student Helen Pierce says she understands the university is seen as an affordable option for students, but increasing tuition would raise the amount of debt she owes. 

 

“It makes it harder to feasibly go to grad school as soon as I would want,” says Pierce. “With each tuition increase, all I see is more time I have to spend working to pay that off.”    

 

With increases in tuition rates, there are mixed opinions on where the extra money is being invested. 

 

Sadovnik believes that the extra money is being used to pay administrators more money. “I think most of it goes to the people in charge, maybe like 60% [of the extra tuition funds],” she says. “The remaining 40% is probably used for what [Rutgers] say it’s used for like maintenance of the campuses.”

 

Tanvi Patel, a sophomore student, says she thinks the extra cash is being used for the athletic department. 

 

“I guess they raise prices to make new hospitals for athletes,” says Patel. “They should have made a parking lot on Livingston so commuters can have more room to park.”

 

Muhammad says Rutgers is increasing their tuition rates because they are greedy. She says the money is being used for unnecessary expenses that do not benefit the university as a whole. 

 

“They’re probably taking the money and using it to pay the president, staff members, unnecessary reconstructions, and renovations for the athletic department,” Muhammad says. 

 

With the ongoing COV-19 pandemic, students say they need the extra cash for essential purchases. With social distancing being practiced, students say they are left unemployed with no steady income.   

 

Patel says the extra money should be used to pay full-time and part-time lecturers. “They should definitely start paying the professors and PTLs more and not the coaches because they’re the ones who are struggling right now,” she says. 

 

Pierce believes the money should be refunded back to the students. “To an extent, the increased tuition price is more than enough for me to move out, buy a house, and be economically stable,” she says. 

 

In the past five years, Rutgers has been continually increasing tuition rates. Here are the tuition increases, according to Rutgers University, Politico and mycentraljersey.com.

• 2020: 0%
• 2019: 2.9%
• 2018: 2.3%
• 2017: 1.85% 
• 2016: 1.7%
• 2015: 2.3%  

Rutgers students oppose tuition increase

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J— Rutgers University students are not thrilled with yearly tuition increases. 

Rutgers has been increasing tuition yearly for both in and out of state students. 

“Being from Massachusetts, tuition is already basically doubled for me” said sophomore Kylie Thomas. 

Rutgers University tuition costs $15,407 for residents of New Jersey, and $32,189 for out state students. 

“I understand it is a state school, so obviously in state students will pay less, but they are paying half of what I’m paying. It just seems a bit excessive for out of state students” 

Tuition is significantly lower for in state students at Rutgers University. The incentive is to get students to stay in state (in New Jersey)  for their college education. 

Tuition was increased 2.9 percent for the 2019-2020 school year. 

Most students see this as an unnecessary action made by Rutgers. 

“Especially since Rutgers is a state university, I find (the increases) very unfair” sophomore Laura Esposito remarked. 

Some students question why the increase must be annual, and may be more accepting of the tuition rise if it were not occurring each year.

“I do have an issue with it being a persistent yearly increase, I don’t see why they couldn’t increase it bi annually or maybe once every four years” Esposito claims. 

If there must be increases, students want to know where the extra funds are being placed and what they’re benefiting. 

“With a yearly increase from each student, we could really change some things around Rutgers” said sophomore Sarina Langer, who is not necessarily opposed to the tuition increases if they are being put to good use. 

Much of the tuition increase goes to funding toward salary raises among faculty, so students do not necessarily “see” where their extra percentage of tuition per year is going. 

“I don’t see a point in paying extra to not see any real improvements on campus. College Ave could really use some updating, so why isn’t the money going toward that?” 

Langer’s point holds some truth to how students may feel about increases, but from data collected over 75 percent of students do not agree with the rising tuition costs. 

Tuition rises about 2-3 percent each year.

In 2015, in state tuition was $14,141, and out of state cost $29,521. 

In 2020, in state tuition jumped to $15,407, and out of state rose to $32,189, a 9 percent increase on both in and out of state tuitions. 

Along with tuition, students also pay room and board if they choose to live on campus.

The cost of room and board along with other student fees added up to $16,700 this school year- a 3.6% increase in just one year. 

“I don’t know what the majority of students’ situation is, but I know I am paying my own tuition”, Laura Esposito remarked, “I budget it and put away my own money for it each month, and with the prices continuously getting steeper it feels like it’s hard to keep my head above water sometimes”.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9Jg7fOA7UslSJw-MU4EmNYDMUirmKEB1fYPmbQKbeRPD0iQ/viewform?usp=pp_url&entry.1722602218=I+do+not+support+annual+tuition+increases