South Carolina State University announced last week that it is clearing millions of dollars in student debts, the school announced in a statement earlier this month.

The historically Black university canceled $9.8 million in debt for over 2,500 students who could not return to school because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are committed to providing these students with a clear path forward so they can continue their college education and graduate without the burden of financial debt caused by circumstances beyond their control,” the school’s acting President Alexander Conyers said in a statement. “Our university was founded on the tenet of providing students with access to a quality affordable education. That’s exactly what we intend to do. No student should have to sit home because they can’t afford to pay their past-due debt after having experienced the financial devastation caused by a global pandemic.”

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The school said it’s using $4 million in funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, and $5.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.

Freshman Leslie Young, who wasn’t able to attend the spring semester because she couldn’t afford to pay tuition, said that the clearing of her debt brought tears to her eyes. “My family is very low income. I was in a deep depression because school means everything to me. Without it, I felt like I was giving up on my dreams.”