The CARES Act of 2020 established the first grant funding for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), which provided pandemic response money to institutions and students, and two subsequent rounds came with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) of 2021. The U.S. Department of Education has not announced additional funding rounds, and past recipients, meanwhile, are running out of time to use the money they received.
According to the department, $30.08 billion of the grant fund’s $75.3 billion total went directly to students, while $38.16 billion went directly to colleges and universities. There were also line items for Historically Black Colleges and Universities ($3.15 billion), Tribal Controlled Colleges and Universities ($275.76 million), and minority-serving institutions ($1.45 billion).
Technology expenses covered by these grants included laptop computers, tablets, high-speed Internet, any additional equipment to enable distance learning, Wi-Fi access, and open networks, according to Julie Ewart, speaking for the U.S. Department of Education. Available data shows allocations by state and the percentages of the grant awards spent so far, but it does not go into the level of detail that pinpoints technology-related purchases or investments by institution or student.
According to the HEERF annual performance summary for 2021, the most current year for which data is available, roughly 70 percent of colleges and universities reported using most of their funding to help “students stay enrolled” by providing access to technology needed for distance learning while also covering costs for COVID-19 testing and vaccines on the campuses. At colleges and universities that were awarded relief money, nearly half of the enrolled students received emergency financial aid that covered all costs for remaining in attendance, including food, housing, health care and child care.
