Category: COVID-19 and Cares Act (EDUCATION)
CLIENT ALERT: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASES GUIDANCE ON THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN (HEERF III)
The U.S. Department of Education (“Department”) recently issued a set of frequently asked questions (“FAQs”) on the American Rescue Plan Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (“HEERF III”). Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARP”) in March of 2021 to provide approximately $40 billion for colleges and universities in their […]
Client Alert: U.S. Department of Education Releases Guidance on the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) issued much-anticipated guidance to higher education institutions on the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (“HEERF”). For an overview of HEERF I, HEERF II, and HEERF III funds, please visit our previous blog posts. The new guidance, issued in three documents, addresses accounting […]
The American Rescue Plan Act and Its Impact to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARP”). The ARP is a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill intended to speed up the nation’s efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. For the higher education community, the ARP provides almost $40 billion for colleges […]
Summary of Provisions Related to Higher Education under the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act and 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act
Over the holiday weekend, President Trump signed the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act (“Act”), the full text of which is available here. The Act funds the federal government until September 2021 and provides $900 billion for COVID-19 relief. The relief package includes funding for institutions of higher education, which are intended […]
CLIENT ALERT: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO ISSUE FINAL RULE ON DISTANCE EDUCATION AND INNOVATION
The U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) has announced that it will soon officially publish in the Federal Register final regulations governing distance education and innovation in higher education (“Final Rule”). The Final Rule is one of three final regulations to follow from the consensus-building work of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee […]
HMBR Resource for Colleges and Universities Considering Reopening for Fall 2020
As students across the nation wrap up an unconventional semester, college and university leadership and administrators are wondering when their campuses can reopen and how they might begin this herculean task. While much remains uncertain, it is clear that colleges and universities must be nimble in meeting this challenge while […]
New OCR Guidance on Complying with Federal Civil Rights Laws during the Coronavirus Pandemic
The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has issued guidance to assist postsecondary institutions in meeting their obligations under Title VI, Title IX, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act during the Coronavirus pandemic. The guidance, which takes a […]
Best Practices for Accounting and Disbursing Allocations from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund
Updated April 21, 2020 Co-authored by Michael Wherry of McClintock & Associates and Audrey Kaplan of HMBR Since the U.S. Department of Education’s April 9, 2020, announcement of the forthcoming release of the student emergency funds as noted in Section 18004(c) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act […]
Disbursement to Higher Ed from CARES Act
This afternoon, April 9, 2020, Secretary DeVos provided a letter with some information on the disbursement of funds to postsecondary schools. The letter outlines how the most significant portion of the CARES funding will be disbursed and how those funds must be used. Specifically, at least 50% must be used […]
Client Alert: Department of Education Issues Proposed Regulations on Distance Education and Innovation
On April 1, 2020, the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on distance education and innovation in higher education. Institutions of higher education that closely monitored the work of the Negotiated Rulemaking Committee last year will find familiar language in the proposed regulations. Meanwhile, institutions […]