OPE: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), Section 2003 of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) that meet the criteria as a Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), Assistance Listing Number 84.425M

For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768), or at www.govinfo.gov/​content/​pkg/​FR-2019-02-13/​pdf/​2019-02206.pdf.

           Background: On March 11, 2021, the President signed the ARP into law (Pub. L. 117-2). This law makes available approximately $39.6 billion for IHEs under HEERF, with funding appropriated through existing programs previously authorized under the CRRSAA.

           With this notice, the Secretary is announcing the availability of HEERF grant funds under the ARP (a)(2) SIP program (ALN 84.425M). 

           Eligible institutions are institutions of higher education, as defined in sections 101 and 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. 1001 and 1002(c). Allocations for these eligible IHEs will be calculated according to the formulas in ARP section 2003(2) and CRRSAA section 314(a)(2). Under ARP section 2003, grant awards under this program may be used to (1) defray expenses associated with the coronavirus, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with transitioning to distance education, faculty and staff training, and payroll; and (2) provide financial aid grants to students (including students exclusively enrolled in distance education), which may be used for any component of the student’s cost of attendance or emergency costs due to the coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care, mental health care, or child care. In making financial aid grants to students, an institution must prioritize grants to students with exceptional need, such as Pell recipient students. IHEs are urged to make financial aid grants to students to the maximum extent possible.

           Additionally, under ARP section 2003(5), IHEs must use a portion of their funds under ALN 84.425M to (1) implement evidence-based practices to monitor and suppress coronavirus in accordance with the public health guidelines; and (2) conduct direct outreach to financial aid applicants about the opportunity to receive a financial aid adjustment due to recent unemployment status or other changes in financial circumstances as described in section 479A of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1087tt).

           The Department will award supplemental funds to eligible IHEs that received a section 314(a)(2) award under the CRRSAA, ALN 84.425M (identified by a Grant Award beginning with P425Mxx). No action is required by eligible institutions to receive these supplemental awards. The project director identified on the most current Grant Award Notification (GAN) will automatically receive an email indicating a supplemental award has been made to your institution. Please note that drawing down any amount of these supplemental funds constitutes an institution’s acceptance of the new ARP terms and conditions and a new Supplemental Agreement, which are attached to this notice for reference.

           IHEs that have not yet complied with the reporting requirements of the HEERF may receive delayed supplemental ARP (a)(2) awards and/or may receive awards with a restriction on the ability to drawdown those awarded funds (route payment status) until the institution has satisfied its HEERF reporting obligations.

           IHEs that did not receive a CRRSAA section 314(a)(2) award but are on the Department’s section 2003(2) ARP SIP Allocation Table may apply for and receive an ARP (a)(2) SIP grant award. The Department must receive applications from such institutions within 60 days of the publication of this notice.

           Assistance Listing Number 84.425M.