A new initiative is aimed at providing more mental health services to college students.

The initiative will use $1.5 million in federal relief funds to boost mental health on campuses as COVID-19 continues to drive stress and uncertainty among students, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education announced on Tuesday.
The funding will be split. Grants totaling $900,000 will go to schools to expand mental health programs. The rest will go toward state contracts to train personnel and provide web-based interventions for students, including a virtual support network for high school seniors.

The initiative comes as Kentucky colleges and universities experience an increased demand for health and counseling resources due to anxiety and depression brought on by the pandemic, officials said.

“We are going to beat COVID-19 this year, but the emotional scars from this pandemic will take longer to heal,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement.

Campus resources are central to making sure that students have the support they need, Beshear said.