What academic libraries need to know about American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding

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Posted on January 4, 2022 in Blog

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The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) provided $40 billion in COVID-19 aid to the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), accessible through Sept. 30, 2023. Below are details on how ARPA/HEERF funds will be allocated, how they must be used and helpful resources to learn more about what this could mean for your institution. 

Funding breakdown: 

• $36 billion for public and private not-for-profit institutions 

• $3 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and Strengthening Institutions Program institutions 
• $198 million for institutions that the Department of Education determines have the greatest unmet needs related to COVID-19 
• Approximately $396 million for proprietary institutions 

How ARPA/HEERF funds must be used 

• Student portion of received funds:  

• At least 50% of received funds must be used to provide emergency financial aid grants to students, which may be applied toward:  

• Any component of the student’s cost of attendance 
• Emergency costs that arise due to COVID-19, such as tuition, food, housing, child care or health care – including mental health care 

• Institutional portion of received funds (This portion is most applicable for academic libraries seeking funding for technology support):  

• The remaining funds can be used for the same items listed in the 2021 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act: To defray expenses associated with COVID-19, including lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance education, faculty and staff. 

Learn more  

Want to learn more about APRA/HEERF funding? We’ve compiled the resources below to help you navigate what’s possible for your institution: 

• Visit this link from the American Council on Education to input your institution’s name to see the amount of ARPA funds your institution is eligible to receive 
• Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF I, II, and III) Lost Revenue Frequently Asked Questions 
• Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds Comparison Chart May 2021  

• ARPA provides relief to higher education, community colleges 
• List of U.S. government grants 

Contact your institution’s development office to kick off the ARPA/HEERF funding process for your library. Happy reading! 

OverDrive Academic, a division of OverDrive, offers the industry’s largest digital catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, video, interactive instruction and databases for college and university libraries worldwide. With the Libby reading app, named one of Popular Mechanics’ 20 Best Apps of the Decade, we help extend the library to support students’ academic needs and provide easy access to leisure reading anytime, anywhere on every major device. Founded in 1986, OverDrive and OverDrive Academic are based in Cleveland, Ohio USA. company.overdrive.com/academic 

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