Emergency Grants for Students
Emergency Grants for Students
The federal government has provided Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) resources for higher education institutions to help address the immediate and urgent impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our students and colleges. This new federal law provides the U.S. Department of Education funds to distribute to institutions of higher education in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the impacts of the coronavirus. To date congress has issued funds three times to institutions of higher education. The intent of these funds is to support our students whose lives and education has been impacted by the pandemic.
CARES Act: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27th, 2020. This bill allotted $2.2 trillion to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that money, approximately $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF.
CRRSAA: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II)
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. In total, the CRRSAA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion expeditiously provided last spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136.
ARP: American Rescue Plan (HEERF III)
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund III (HEERF III) is authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, signed into law on March 11, 2021, providing $39.6 billion in support to institutions of higher education to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ARP funds are in addition to funds authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260 and the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136. Emergency funds available to institutions and their students under all emergency funds total $76.2 billion.