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Department of Education-Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)

Agency/Department
Federal Agency/Bureau
Department of Education
Program Name
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)
Authorizing Legislation

American Rescue Plan

Program Overview

On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. It is an unprecedented $1.9 trillion package of assistance measures, including $122 billion for the ARP Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER)
Fund. Funds are provided to State educational agencies and school districts to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nation’s students.

CFDA

84.425D

Type of Funding

Formula

Link to application site, NOFO, FOA, or Grants.gov (if different from program website above)

Not Applicable 

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) or Federal Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Type

Other: One-time funding 

Important Dates (if applicable)

Not Applicable 

FY2023 Appropriations Amount

Total Amount:$0
Amount Available Towards Broadband (if specified): Not Specified

Matching Requirement

No 

Complementary Federal Funding Option

Not Applicable 

Broadband-related Program Purpose/Eligible Expenditures
Speed/Technical Requirement for Broadband Infrastructure

With respect to ESSER funding, providing internet connectivity to students is anallowable use of ESSER funds (see, e.g., section 2001(e)(2)(K) of the American RescuePlan Act of 2021 (ARP Act), stating that an allowable use of ARP ESSER funds includes“Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity) forstudents who are served by the [LEA] that aids in regular and substantive educationalinteraction between students and their classroom instructors”). If an LEA pays a vendorto provide internet service to students and their families, the vendor may need to createthe infrastructure to be able to provide the internet service. Typically that infrastructure isowned by the vendor and is not subject to the specific Federal regulations on supplies,equipment, or capital improvements. However, if the purpose of an SEA or LEA’scontract with a vendor is to create the infrastructure (e.g. fiber optic cable) itself that theState or LEA would own, a contract with a vendor for the creation of the broadbandinfrastructure is subject to the Uniform Guidance rules on procurement, prior approvalfor capital expenditures, disposition, construction, and other relevant requirements in theUniform Guidance and other applicable regulations. For example, as noted in moredetail in FAQ B-6 when ESSER funds are used for construction, capital equipment orproperty acquired or improved with Federal funds must be appropriately insured and thegrantees must consult with the Department on disposition instructions in the event thatthe property or equipment is no longer needed for Federal programs. See, e.g., 2 CFR§§ 200.310-200.313.

Eligible Recipients
Criteria for Eligible Recipients

A State must subgrant not less than 90 percent of its total ARP ESSER allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs).income, population size/density, limited to certain states.)

Grant Beneficiaries (if different from eligible recipients)

Not Applicable 

Publicly-available programmatic data
Contact Information

ESSERF@ed.gov

Additional Information

Please carefully review the FAQs for additional guidance on ESSER funds:
https://oese.ed.gov/files/2022/12/ESSER-and-GEER-Use-of-Funds-FAQs-December-7-2022-Update.pdf
ESSER was also authorized through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
(CARES) Act & Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations
(CRRSA) Act.

Updated

April 2023 

Funding Guide