HOW TO USE EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUNDS FOR K-12 AND HIGHER ED Since March 2020, Congress has passed into law three acts to funnel needed assistance to the Education Stabilization Fund. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP Act) have all contributed billions of dollars to support needs to K-12 and higher education communities. A large portion of this funding is still up for grabs – including funding that can be used to upgrade AV systems in classrooms.
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Amazing AV Experiences | The Future of Education | 2022
The CARES funding is mostly allocated at this point, but a surprising amount of the CRRSA and ARP funding remains to be used. You can see an up-to-date report of just how much is left at the U.S. Department of Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) web portal.
The ESF is split into five allocations with three of these comprising 99% of the funding: • Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) - $79.4 billion was directed to higher education from the three relief funds. Half is dedicated to student relief. The other half can be used at the institution’s discretion, with many choosing to expand capabilities for various learning styles (more on this in a few pages). • Governors’ Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEERF) - $4.2 billion awarded to Governors to provide grants to K-12 schools, colleges and universities, childcare and early education providers. These funds can be used on education technology and instructional materials. • Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund) – $186.0 billion (you read that right) to state education agencies to use largely to fill local needs. This includes updates to AV systems in order to help enhance distance and other learning styles.
