Pitt is distributing more than $15 million directly to student financial aid from federal COVID-19 funds, the University announced in a Thursday morning press release.

Students won’t have to worry about getting run over by backward-walking, striped-shirt-clad Pitt Pathfinders around campus this semester. But that doesn’t mean Pathfinders aren’t showing off the campus to potential Pitt students.  

Pitt’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid is currently open remotely to provide financial counseling and support to students who have experienced financial hardship because of the pandemic and are unsure of how to pay for their education.

With the shift to a world online, OAFA has shifted as well. The office continues to connect with incoming students through programs like online advising and a virtual Admitted Students Day while employees work from home.

At a public meeting in Posvar Hall Monday morning, Pitt’s Investment Committee approved a new spending policy that increases the amount of University funding directly supporting financial aid.

For students who already received a Pell Grant, it’s a wonderful effort by Pitt to help alleviate some of their costs and worries. But for the students who don’t qualify, the effort leaves them in the dust.

Students submitting an application to Pitt in the 2018-19 school year will be the first class that can use the Common Application, according to a statement Pitt released Tuesday. The Common App allows...