Skip Office Navigation
OPE: Office of Postsecondary Education
Current Section
ARP: American Rescue Plan (HEERF III)

Introduction

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.

Note: This page is dedicated to the new funding (HEERF III) established by the ARP. Information about the HEERF II established by the CRRSAA can be found at this link. HEERF I established by the CARES Act can be found at this link.

Latest News

May 2023: Click here to access the No Cost Extension (NCE) request form for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grant(s) awarded to your institution of higher education. Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.308(e)(2) and 34 C.F.R. § 75.261(a), and as stated in the Department’s HEERF ARP FAQs, grantees have the option to receive a No-Cost Extension (NCE) as applicable HEERF grant recipients can request an additional twelve months to finalize plans for the remaining HEERF institutional awards through June 30, 2024, and an additional six months for the HEERF student awards through December 31, 2023. The Department may consider additional extensions as necessary. The authorized institutional representative identified on the most recent Grant Award Notification (GAN) must complete the NCE request form and email it to the assigned program specialist identified in Box 3 of the HEERF GAN on or before June 20, 2023. Please contact your assigned program specialist if you have questions.

March 2023: The 2023 HEERF Updates PowerPoint presentation can be found here.

February 01, 2022: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund 2021 Annual Performance Reports can be found here.

October 13, 2022: Higher Education Emergency Response Unit 2-year Anniversary | Highlights of HEERF

April 04, 2022: Notice of Automatic Extension of Performance Period for All Open Grants Issued Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)

February 15, 2022: The U.S. Treasury issued new FAQs clarifying that unpaid debts discharged using HEERF funds are nontaxable. The News Release can be found here.

February 03, 2022: Reopening; Notices Inviting Applications Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARP)--Public and Private Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF); Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) That Meet the Criteria as a Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP); Institutions of Higher Education That Meet the Criteria for the Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) Program; Proprietary Institution Grant Funds for Students Program.

February 03, 2022: On January 31, 2022, the Department announced $198 million in new awards under the Supplemental Support under the American Rescue Plan. Guidance can be found here. The SSARP Program assists public and private nonprofit institutions that have the greatest unmet need related to the coronavirus, as determined by the secretary after allocating available funds under HEERF III, including institutions with large populations of graduate students who otherwise did not receive a HEERF allocation under the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021. The Department urges institutions applying for the SSARP program to continue to use the funds to support campuses and students as they deal with the immediate challenges posed by the pandemic.

January 20, 2022: The Department released new guidance on how colleges can use existing HEERF funds to support students’ basic needs, such as childcare, housing, and food insecurity.

August 17, 2021: Reopening; Notice Inviting Applications for the Proprietary Institution Grant Funds for Students Program Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.

July 29, 2021: All successful applicants awarded the IREPO Grant: Allocation Table Here

May 14, 2021: Eligibility to Receive Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Program

May 11, 2021: Today the Department is making available $36 billion in emergency aid to public and private non-profit institutions and $396 million to proprietary colleges to serve students and ensure learning continues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The full press release is available here.

Specific Program Information

Congress created several programs within HEERF III. Please click on the links below to be taken to information and resources for the specific program or distribution.

Institutional Portion for Public and Nonprofit Institutions (a)(1)

Student Aid Portion for Public and Nonprofit Institutions (a)(1)

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (a)(2)

Minority Serving Institutions (a)(2)

Strengthening Institutions Program (a)(2)

Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (a)(2)

Supplemental Support under American Rescue Plan (a)(3)

Proprietary Institutions Grant Funds for Students (a)(4)


Program
(with link to website)

ALN

ARP Section

Eligibility
(with link to allocation table)

Certification & Agreement

Deadline

Grants.gov Funding

Opportunity Number

Student Aid Portion for Public and Nonprofit Institutions

84.425E

Section 2003(a)(1)

Public and Nonprofit Title IV participating institutions
Note: Students cannot apply for assistance directly from the U.S. Department of Education but should contact their institutions for further information and guidance.
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreement

March 07, 2022

ED-GRANTS-051321-001

Institutional Portion for Public and Nonprofit Institutions

84.425F

Section 2003(a)(1)

Public and Nonprofit Title IV participating institutions
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreement

March 07, 2022

ED-GRANTS-051321-002

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

84.425J

Section 2003(a)(2)

Institutions that qualify for funding under the following programs: Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Part B institutions as described in section 322(2) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA)), Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions (institutions named in section 326(e)(1) of the HEA), and Master’s Degree Programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (institutions named in section 723(b)(1) of the HEA)
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreement

Note: Institutions do not need to apply.

ED-GRANTS-xxxxxx-xxx

Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

84.425K

Section 2003(a)(2)

Institutions that qualify for funding under the Tribally Controlled College or University Assistance Act of 1978 or the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978; are cited in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land Grant Status Act of 1994; or are designated as eligible for funding by the Bureau of Indian Education
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreement

Note: Institutions do not need to apply.

ED-GRANTS-xxxxxx-xxx

Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)

84.425L

Section 2003(a)(2)

Institutions that would be eligible to participate in the following programs: Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTI), Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (DHSI), and Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) programs
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreements:

March 07, 2022

ED-GRANTS-080221-001

Strengthening Institutions Program (SIPs)

84.425M

Section 2003(a)(2)

Institutions designated as eligible in FY 2020 for grant programs in Titles III and V of the HEA that did not receive 18004(a)(2) grant awards as a result of not meeting the requirements for the Strengthening HBCUs, HBGIs, HBCU Master’s, TCCUs, PBIs, ANNH, AANAPISI, NASNTI, DHSI, and/or PPOHA programs
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreements:

March 07, 2022

ED-GRANTS-080221-002

Supplemental Support under American Rescue Plan

84.425T

Section 2003(a)(3)

Public and Private Nonprofit Institutions of Higher Education, see Federal Register Notice for specific Absolute Priority Eligibility.
No Allocaton Table.

Certification and Agreement

April 08, 2022

ED-GRANTS-020322-002

Proprietary Institutions Grant Funds for Students

84.425Q

Section 2003(a)(4)

Title IV participating proprietary institutions
Allocation Table Here

Certification and Agreement

Required Proprietary Institution Certification

Note: To receive funding under the ARP (a)(4) program, all proprietary institutions must complete and submit this form to assist with management and oversight.

March 07, 2022

ED-GRANTS-051321-003


Reporting and Data Collection

HEERF Grant Program FAQs and Documents:

Briefings

Briefings on HEERF funds in the American Rescue Plan in May and June of 2021. Please find the following materials from those briefings:

Contact Information

Have questions about HEERF grants? Email HEERF@ed.gov

Think an institution is misusing or abusing ED funds? Do not let ARP funding for schools and students end up in the wrong hands. File a complaint online with our Inspector General (OIG) or call their Hotline.



   
Last Modified: 08/30/2023