Albany Tech, South Ga. Tech to get federal funding

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Two technical colleges in southwest Georgia will get hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding, Congressman Sanford Bishop’s Office announced on Thursday.

South Georgia Technical College will get $691,171 and Albany Technical College will get $1.14 million.

The funding is from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

The funding will go toward “specialized training and education, supporting enrollment efforts, and student financial aid,” Bishop’s office said in a release.

“Our colleges faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic, which made it difficult to implement effective workforce training, as well as recruit and retain students. As we recover from the pandemic, these colleges, and many of their students, are still faced with strained budgets and economic challenges,” Bishop said. “These funds will help our technical colleges to bridge their gaps and expand student support services on campus.”

“Albany Technical College will apply the new grant funds to assist students adversely impacted by the economic effects of the pandemic,” said Dr. Emmett Griswold, interim president of Albany Tech. “This additional funding will allow us to continue to support our students and help them to stay on course to complete their degrees here at the college. Our graduates will, in turn, support economic development in the community and help maintain a strong southwest Georgia. We extend a special thank you to Congressman Bishop for his continuous support of his constituents in the 2nd Congressional District.”

“South Georgia Technical College is thrilled to be a recipient of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund grant,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “The grant will allow us to directly benefit students who have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. As a rural institution of higher education, South Georgia Technical College is instrumental in providing southwest Georgia with a trained workforce. These funds will be utilized to assist the college with providing additional workforce educational opportunities. We appreciate Congressman Sanford Bishop’s leadership and support of South Georgia Technical College.”