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Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): American Rescue Plan (SSARP) Program, Assistance ED-GRANTS-020322-002

  • Granting Agency: Department of Education
  • Appropriation Amount: $197,922,850
  • Grant Amount: The award amounts will depend on the absolute priority or priorities under which an institution is applying. No Match
  • Announcement Date: February 3, 2022
  • Closing Date: April 4, 2022,

Federal Registry Notice

Purpose: Supports public and private nonprofit IHEs that the Secretary determines have, after allocating other funds available under HEERF III, the greatest unmet needs related to the coronavirus, including institutions with large populations of graduate students and institutions that did not otherwise receive a HEERF allocation under the American Rescue Plan Act, 2021 (ARP).

Eligible Expenditures:
SSARP program uses the funding to support campuses and students in the following ways:
Covid–19 mitigation: ARP requires that institutions spend a portion of their HEERF grant funds to implement evidence-based practices to monitor and suppress coronavirus in accordance with public health
Addressing students’ basic needs: guidelines. HEERF provides broad flexibility to each institution to address specific student needs related to coronavirus.
Support continued enrollment and re-enrollment: Community colleges and other institutions are facing significant enrollment declines
Forgive institutional debts and end transcript withholding: Small sums of money owed on student account balances can derail enrollment, limit transfer, and restrict access to jobs and earning potential.
Expanding programs that lead to in-demand high-quality jobs: HEERF has aided institutions in creating access to new programs that prepare students for high-quality jobs in demand, as a result of the coronavirus, that require specialized training and education.

Eligible Applicants:
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education