When will Educators Receive COVID Relief Funding?

By Jane E. West

This blog post is written by AACTE consultant Jane West and is intended to provide updated information. The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of AACTE.

Implementation of the $2 Trillion CARES Act: Where Do We Stand?

It’s hard to keep track of the swirl of information about federal efforts to address the pandemic in the education space. Here is my best shot at a high-level summary of where things stand:

• It’s been three weeks since the $2 trillion third package of funding (COVID-3 or the CARES Act) became law
• The bill includes the following and distribution to date is as noted:
  • $13.5 billion for elementary and secondary education
    • No announced process or timeline for distribution yet
  • $14.25 billion for higher education
    • $6.3 billion is being distributed to IHE’s for students who need emergency financial aid and have expenses related to the pandemic
  • $3 billion for a Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund
    • fund now available for distribution

AACTE Continues Advocacy on Capitol Hill

By Deborah Koolbeck

As the COVID-19 pandemic led the U.S. president to declare a national emergency, education stakeholders began immediate, direct advocacy with the Congress and the Administration, and will continue as federal and congressional actions to address the COVID pandemic unfold. AACTE continues to advocate for educator preparation on Fiscal Year 2021 funding, in particular, and emergency spending packages (often referred to as supplemental measures/bills) with both legislative branches. 

When AACTE staff and members talk about advocacy, we talk about the power in the combined voices of stakeholders and partners. To that end, AACTE has joined other education organizations in augmenting the voices on key issues as they emerge with the Administration and the Congress. You can access these letters via the AACTE COVID-19 Resource Hub located under AACTE Advocacy: Letters to Congress, the Administration, or other Leaders. Such letters include one that addresses the release of the Title IX regulations and rapid deployment of the funding from the third stimulus package, the CARES Act.

This section of the COVID-19 Resource Hub will be updated as AACTE signs on to letters for actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic