April 30, 2020

The U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance for Applying for $1.4 billion in Funding under the CARES Act

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is sharing important information for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) released today by the U.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance to institutions for applying for the $1.4 billion in additional funding that will be directed to HBCUs, TCUs, HSIs and  a variety of minority serving institutions, as part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief (HEER) Fund authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Per the U.S. Department of Education guidance:

In order to access these funds, eligible institutions must sign a Certification and Agreement certifying that they will use their allocations in accordance with the CARES Act and all other applicable federal law. Schools have until Aug. 1, 2020, to apply for the funds. The Certification and Agreement, a cover letter, and the HEER Fund allocation tables by institution are available on the Office of Postsecondary Education's CARES Act website.

Institutions may use this funding to cover the cost of technology associated with a transition to distance education, grants to cover the costs of attendance for eligible students, and faculty and staff trainings. Additionally, funds may be used to cover operational costs, such as lost revenue, reimbursements for prior expenses, and payroll.

HACU is grateful to the U.S. Department of Education for issuing this guidance, urges the Administration to get this money out as quickly as possible, and will continue to advocate for an additional $1 billion in COVID-19 relief funding in future relief packages.