HEERF Cover Letter

THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, DC 20202

April 21, 2020

Dear College and University Presidents:

We continue to make good on our promise to quickly make Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding available so that you can serve students and help them continue to learn during this unprecedented time. It’s been two weeks now since the Department made $6.3 billion in initial formula grants available to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to college students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet. These expedited awards reflected my top priority in administering the CARES Act: to get support to those most in need as quickly as possible. As of today, only one-third of institutions have completed the simple applications required to access these funds, which means too many students are still waiting for emergency financial relief. I hope those that haven’t will act quickly to help their students.

Today, we’re releasing information on how to access the second half of formula grants to institutions of higher education authorized by Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, also known as the funds for “Recipient’s Institutional Costs.”

Section 18004(c) of the CARES Act allows your institution to use up to one-half of the total funds received under Section 18004(a)(1) to cover any costs associated with significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus. The funding for Recipient’s Institutional Costs, which I am making available today through a second Certification and Agreement process, is separate from the funding previously made available for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students. Because helping students remains our number one priority, please note that your institution must have entered into the Funding Certification and Agreement for Emergency Financial Aid Grants to Students before submitting the second Certification and Agreement for Recipient’s Institutional Costs.

While I know you face many challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, I encourage you to use the portion of your award for Recipient’s Institutional Costs to expand your remote learning programs, build your IT capacity to support such programs, and train faculty and staff to operate effectively in a remote learning environment. These activities will help ensure that learning can continue for your students during the Nation’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, and strengthen your position to support continued learning in the future.

I also encourage you to consider using the funds for Recipient’s Institutional Costs to expand support for your students with the most significant financial needs arising from the coronavirus pandemic, including eligible expenses under a student’s cost of attendance, such as course materials, technology, health care, childcare, food, and housing.

In order to access the funds for Recipient’s Institutional Costs under Sections 18004(a)(1) and 18004(c) of the CARES Act, please sign the Recipient’s Funding Certification and Agreement for the Institutional Portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (available for download on our Office of Postsecondary Education’s CARES Act website (https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/caresact.html) and return via grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html), acknowledging and agreeing to the terms and conditions of the funding. After the Department has received the Certification and Agreement and verified the information therein, institutions may draw down their funds for the Recipient’s Institutional Costs using the Department’s G5 system.

Once again, I am pleased to have been able to move quickly to award funds provided under the CARES Act to meet the needs of both students and institutions as we work together to overcome the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on teaching and learning in our postsecondary institutions. I look forward to continuing to work with you on behalf of America’s students.

Sincerely,

Betsy DeVos