The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), administered by the U.S. Department of Education, provides funding to address challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, on institution of higher education. At Lamar University, the student portion of these funds is awarded through the Office of Scholarships, Financial, Aid & Veteran Affairs.
As of Summer 21, there have been three rounds of funding. Lamar University has been granted funding in each round.
All CARES funding has been awarded.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or, CARES Act, was passed by Congress on March 27th, 2020. This bill allotted $2.2 trillion to provide fast and direct economic aid to the American people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Of that money, approximately $14 billion was given to the Office of Postsecondary Education as the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF.
All CRRSAA (HEERF II) funds have been allocated.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is authorized by the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSAA), Public Law 116-260, signed into law on Dec. 27, 2020. In total, the CRRSAA authorizes $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion expeditiously provided last spring through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Public Law 116-136.
All HERF III funds have been been awarded.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) (Pub. L. 117-2). The ARP appropriated approximately $39.6 billion for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) and represents the third stream of funding appropriated for HEERF to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
The University is still finalizing it's plans to award these funds. Once finalized, information will be updated on this webpage.