The University of Colorado Boulder awarded more than $44 million in federal emergency funds to thousands of students to help pay for COVID-19 related expenses, the university announced Wednesday. 

More than 14,000 students were given emergency grants that ranged between $500 and $2,000, according to the university. The money came from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly stressful on college students,” said Chancellor Philip DiStefano. “We are thankful that we were able to quickly make the critical connections to ensure students were able to continue their education.”

The university prioritized students with higher financial needs. Students spent the money on technology needs, tuition, books, supplies, housing, food, mental health or counseling costs that exceeded campus services and child care costs necessary to finish classwork, according to the university.  

“The size and duration of this emergency was unimaginable before 2020,” said Chief Financial Officer Carla Ho’a. “We are grateful to have been able to deliver vital support to students who needed it.”

Officials said the money helped keep students on track for graduation. 

Additionally, officials distributed more than $358,000 of the emergency funds to students impacted by the Marshall fire.

“We want to take the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and understand how emergencies impact students’ academic progress,” said Director of Financial Aid Ofelia Morales. “Then we can start to imagine how we can support students in the future.”