Notice2022-07053
Notice of Automatic Extension of Performance Period for All Open Grants Issued Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 4, 2022
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is issuing this notice regarding the automatic extension of HEERF grantees' performance period. The performance period for all open HEERF grants with a balance greater than $1,000 is extended through June 30, 2023.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 64 (Monday, April 4, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 64 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19496-19498]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07053]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Automatic Extension of Performance Period for All Open
Grants Issued Under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF)
AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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[[Page 19497]]
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is issuing this
notice regarding the automatic extension of HEERF grantees' performance
period. The performance period for all open HEERF grants with a balance
greater than $1,000 is extended through June 30, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Epps, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 250-64, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: (202) 377-3711. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#155d505047535570713b727a63"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a6eee3e3f4e0e6c3c288c1c9d0">[email protected]</span></a>.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-
877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 HEERF, which represents
the third stream of funding appropriated for HEERF to support
institutions of higher education (IHEs) for the purpose of preventing,
preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus. The ARP is one of the
largest single investments ever made in our Nation's most historically
under-resourced institutions. It has supported American recovery from
the economic and health crises created by the 2019 novel coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic. Prior funding streams include the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (Pub. L. 116-136) and
Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021
(CRRSAA) (Pub. L. 116-260). The CARES Act, enacted on March 27, 2020,
provided the Department with a $14.0 billion HEERF appropriation.
CRRSAA, signed into law on December 27, 2020, made available an
additional $22.7 billion for IHEs under the HEERF program.
In enacting CARES, CRRSAA, and ARP, Congress did not specify a
performance period for HEERF grantees. In its initial determination
regarding the performance period for grants made under CARES, CRRSAA,
and ARP, the Department made the decision that institutions must expend
their HEERF grant funds within one year from the date when the
Department processed the most recent obligation of funds for each
specific grant. For example, when distributing ARP HEERF grant funds,
the Department stated that IHEs that received a supplemental award
under ARP had one year to spend remaining CARES, CRRSAA, and new ARP
grant funds for each specific grant supplement received, which began on
the date their ARP supplemental award was made. An institution's
performance period for each of its HEERF grants is currently indicated
in Box 6 of the institution's most recent Grant Award Notification
(GAN) under ``federal funding period.''
Under the Department's grantmaking procedures in 2 CFR
200.308(e)(2) and 34 CFR 75.261, grantees may also request one-time
extensions of the budget period for up to 12 months to continue the
work of their HEERF grant. Given that HEERF grantees have been awarded
multiple supplemental grants obligated on a rolling basis, and some
grants are on a no-cost extension, the performance period varies among
HEERF grantees and their individual HEERF grants.
The Department is committed to providing consistency, where
possible, and extending all available flexibilities that may be
authorized by law to grantees under the HEERF programs as institutions
continue to grapple with the financial consequences of COVID-19. The
COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge the public health and safety
of the Nation, and it is essential to continue to combat and respond to
COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the Federal
Government.
Under 34 CFR 75.250(a), the Secretary may approve a project period
of up to 60 months to perform the substantive work of a grant. While
grantees have diligently spent most of their HEERF grant funds, the
Department recognizes the need to use remaining funds to meet the needs
of students. Accordingly, the Department is extending the performance
period on all HEERF grants through June 30, 2023. This extension does
not apply to grants that are closed or in the closeout process, nor
does it apply to grants that have an award balance of $1,000 or less.
The Department believes that extending the performance period on all
HEERF grants through June 30, 2023, is consistent with the intent of
Congress and authorized by the law. This extension, with a consistent
performance period across grants, will also allow IHEs to manage grant
spending more efficiently and spend remaining funds to meet
institutional needs during the ongoing pandemic.
This blanket extension is not considered a no-cost extension under
2 CFR 200.308(e)(2) and 34 CFR 75.261.
While institutions will not receive a new GAN updating the
performance periods of their HEERF grants, this notice supersedes, in
part, all previous guidance, agreements, and grant award documents to
provide IHEs with an extended performance period through June 30, 2023.
Grantees are not required to take any action to take advantage of this
automatic extension but are encouraged to maintain a copy of this
notice within their HEERF grant files as required documentation for
auditing purposes.
Institutions may always spend HEERF funds prior to the conclusion
of the performance period. For those institutions that do not need
additional time to spend their HEERF award, the Department encourages
spending funds as soon as possible.
For more information on HEERF, please visit the Department's Higher
Education Emergency Relief Fund page at: <a href="http://www2.ed.gov/programs/heerf/index.html">www2.ed.gov/programs/heerf/index.html</a>.
Program Authority: Section 18004 of CARES, Section 314 of CRRSAA,
and Section 2003 of ARP.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 81, 82, 84, 86, 97,
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474.
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 <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. 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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit
[[Page 19498]]
your search to documents published by the Department.
Michelle Asha Cooper,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs, Delegated the
Authority to Perform the Functions and Duties of the Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2022-07053 Filed 4-1-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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