Over $21 Billion in Emergency Grant Aid Available to Higher Education Institutions and Students through HEERF II Funding Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act – Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
On December 27, 2020, the president signed into law the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), which provides more than $81 billion in emergency support to elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. Over $21 billion of that total is allocated to higher education, including public, private nonprofit, and proprietary institutions and their students. Building on the structure of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of March 2020, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has designated these additional higher education support funds under the CRRSAA as “HEERF II.”
The CRRSAA requires ED to distribute HEERF II funding to public and nonprofit postsecondary institutions (under Section 314(a)(1)) and to proprietary institutions (under Section 314(a)(4)) on the following basis:
- 37.5% on FTE enrollment of Pell Grant recipients who were not enrolled exclusively in distance education prior to the COVID-19 national emergency declared March 13, 2020 (the “qualifying emergency”).
- 37.5% on total headcount enrollment of Pell recipients who were not enrolled exclusively in distance education prior to the qualifying emergency.
- 11.5% on FTE enrollment of non-Pell recipients who were not enrolled exclusively in distance education prior to the qualifying emergency.