[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 3 (Wednesday, January 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 531-532]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-29298]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Clarification on Reopening the Application Period for Certain 
Applicants Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), 
Sections 18004(a)(1), 18004(a)(2), and 18004(a)(3); Coronavirus Aid, 
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice; clarification.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary is providing notice that the newly-enacted 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the 2021 Appropriations Act) 
supersedes the Department of Education's (Department's) notice 
published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2020, that reopened 
the HEERF grant program application period for certain limited 
applicants (Reopening Notice). The 2021 Appropriations Act prevents the 
Department from accepting or processing any applications for new awards 
under section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act (i.e., the ``Student Aid 
Portion'' program (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA) 
84.425E) and the ``Institutional Portion'' program (CFDA 84.425F)).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Epps, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 250-64, Washington, DC 20202. 
Email: [email protected]. Telephone: (202) 453-6337. Please also visit our 
HEERF website: www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/caresact.html.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 23, 2020 (85 FR 83917), the 
Department published the Reopening Notice, which reopened the HEERF 
application period for applicants that met one of the five conditions 
described in the Reopening Notice and that we verified previously had 
attempted to apply through grants.gov for a specific HEERF funding 
opportunity.
    The 2021 Appropriations Act (H.R. 133) was signed into law by 
President Donald Trump on December 27, 2020. It supersedes, in part, 
the Reopening Notice and requires that any unobligated CARES Act 
section 18004(a)(1) funds be used by the Department to carry out 
section 314(a)(1) of the 2021 Appropriations Act, which allocates funds 
to certain institutions of higher education under a new formula. 
Therefore, there are no

[[Page 532]]

remaining funds to award to institutions under the CARES Act ``Student 
Aid Portion'' program (CFDA 84.425E) and the ``Institutional Portion'' 
program (CFDA 84.425F), and the Department cannot accept or process 
applications for these funds under the Reopening Notice, including 
applications received prior to December 27, 2020 in response to the 
Reopening Notice.
    Note: While the Department cannot accept or process any 
applications for CARES Act section 18004(a)(1) program funds, we are 
still able to accept applications for our section 18004(a)(2) and 
(a)(3) HEERF programs (CFDAs 84.425J, 84.425K, 84.425L, 84.425M, 
84.425N) from applicants that meet one of the five conditions described 
in the Reopening Notice and that we verified previously have attempted 
to apply through grants.gov for one of these HEERF grant opportunities. 
Applicants for those funds must follow the requirements specified in 
the Reopening Notice and submit their revised or corrected applications 
no later than January 11, 2021.

    Note: The requirements described in this notice apply only to 
CARES Act section 18004(a)(1) HEERF funds not yet awarded by the 
Department to institutions. They do not apply to funds that were 
awarded to institutions by the Department prior to the enactment of 
the 2021 Appropriations Act, but that have not yet been spent by 
institutions. Institutions that received awards under section 
18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act continue to have one calendar year from 
the date of their award to expend funds under their grant period of 
performance.


    Note: The Department intends to issue guidance at a future date 
regarding the grant opportunities created by section 314 of the 2021 
Appropriations Act, including the circumstances under which 
institutions that did not receive funds under section 18004(a)(1) of 
the CARES Act can apply for funding under the 2021 Appropriations 
Act.

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will 
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich 
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, 
braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible 
format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published 
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To 
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at 
the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

Robert L. King,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2020-29298 Filed 1-5-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P