Final HEERF Grants Awarded

The Department of Education has awarded the final $198 million in American Rescue Plan Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) grants to support students at community colleges, rural, and Minority-Serving Institutions.  In total, 244 public and private, nonprofit institutions are receiving resources from this final tranche of funds. 

Known as Supplemental Support under the American Rescue Plan (SSARP) or (a)(3) funds, these funds are for institutions with the greatest unmet needs related to the coronavirus.  These include:

• Institutions with large populations of graduate students;
• Institutions that did not otherwise receive a HEERF allocation under the American Rescue Plan Act; 
• Community colleges and rural institutions that serve a high percentage of low-income students; and 
• Institutions that have experienced enrollment declines since the start of the pandemic.

Institutions receiving these funds are required to distribute half of the grant allocation directly to students, which can cover any needs related to coronavirus, but also housing, tuition support, addressing food insecurity, and other basic needs.

The Department has published a funding table showing the final allocations and total HEERF funding by state. Once the Department publishes the list of 244 institutions receiving grant awards, it will publish the list here. 

For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Giesecke