Federal Funding for SEL Now Available: March 2021 | By: Committee for Children Committee for Children works with policymakers from around the country and supports laws, policies, and funding that promote social-emotional learning (SEL), address bullying, and prevent child sexual abuse. This funding helps educators like you better support your students, their families, and the entire community you serve. This year there is additional relief funding for the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the standard fiscal year appropriations, available to you to implement or support SEL for students. As students return to schools, it’s even more critical than ever to fund programs to support SEL. Please review the charts below for more details about the legislation, what the funding supports, and key timing and deadlines. American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act)H.R. 1319 The most recent pandemic relief bill, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), provides the largest round of COVID-19 relief funding for education through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. In addition to the ARP ESSER funds detailed in the following table, the relief package includes $350 billion in aid to state and local governments.1 American Rescue Plan ESSER Funds (Third Round of Funding) Amount $122 billion Social-Emotional Learning Opportunities States and state education agencies (SEAs) are supposed to use their reserved funds to recover learning loss by spending on activities and interventions responding to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. The same is true for the reserved funds of local education agencies (LEAs), which are mostly school districts. Non-reserved funds can be spent on the same activities and interventions allowed under the previous ESSER funding rounds. State Allocation Stipulations May reserve up to 10% (but only up to 0.5% for administrative costs). 5% of total is reserved for interventions that address learning loss. 1% of total is reserved for summer enrichment programs. 1% of total is reserved for comprehensive afterschool programs. Award Deadlines US Department of Education will begin disbursing allocations to SEAs this month (March 2021). SEAs must award subgrants to LEAs within 60 days of receiving the state’s allocation. Funds not allocated to LEAs may be awarded within one year. LEA Allocation Based on Title I formula. At least 20% of an LEA’s allocation is for implementing evidence-based interventions that address learning loss. Deadline to Commit and Spend Funds September 30, 2024 (includes the 12-month extension period for carryover funds applicable via the Tydings Amendment) Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA)As included in H.R. 133 The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act passed in conjunction with federal budget appropriations at the end of 2020. This bill was the second round of COVID-19 relief funding that allocated funds to mitigate the pandemic’s effect on education. In addition to funds allocated through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, the bill also included funds allocated through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. The following table provides detailed information about both important sources of funding for education. Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) ESSER and GEER Funds (Second Round of Funding) ESSER II GEER II Amount $54.3 billion $4.1 billion Social-Emotional Learning Opportunities Funds may be used for activities authorized under the following acts: ESEA, IDEA, AEFLA, and Perkins. Additionally, funds may be used to address the unique needs of student subgroups as well as to provide mental health services and supports. Governor may use funds for subgrants or contracts to education-related entities that the Governor “deems essential” for providing social and emotional support. State Allocation Stipulations May reserve up to 10% (but only up to 0.5% for administrative costs). Not applicable Award Deadlines State must award funds within one year of receiving its allocation, but no later than January 2022. State must award funds within one year of receiving its allocation, but no later than January 2022. LEA Allocation Based on Title I formula. Governor may provide subgrants to LEAs “most significantly impacted by coronavirus” to support their provision of educational services to students. Deadline to Commit and Spend Funds September 30, 2023 (includes the 12-month extension period for carryover funds applicable via the Tydings Amendment) September 30, 2023 Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) AppropriationsAs included in H.R. 133 The congressional funding package that passed at the end of 2020 included federal budget appropriations in addition to the CRRSA Act. While you may be more familiar with these sources of funding, it is worth noting that many of these sources received an increase in funding over the previous fiscal year’s federal appropriations. The table below shows appropriations and their relative increases of funding that may be used towards social-emotional learning. Find more information about federal funding for Second Step® programs on our funding resource page. Coronavirus Response and FY21 Federal Budget Appropriations Relevant to SEL Total Appropriation Amount Fund, Program, or Grant Federal Department Change Over Previous FY Appropriation $16.5 billion Title I Grants to LEAs Education +$227 million $12.9 billion IDEA Part B Grants to states Education +$173 million $2.1 billion Title II-A Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants Education +$11.3 million $1.2 billion Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment State Grants Education +$10 million $1.3 billion 21st Century Community Learning Grants Education +$10 million $67 million Education Innovation and Research (The Evaluation Group) Education +$2 million $30 million Full-Service Community Schools Education +$5 million $106 million School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program Education +$2 million $107 billion Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) Health and Human Services +$5 million $72 million National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative Health and Human Services +$3 million $5.9 billion Child Care and Development Block Grant Health and Human Services +$85 million $10.7 million Head Start Health and Human Services +$135 million Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ActH.R. 748 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was the first round of federal COVID-19 relief funding that included funds for education. The bill established the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund as well as the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. Coronavirus Response and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act ESSER and GEER Funds (First Round of Funding) ESSER GEER Amount $13.5 billion $3 billion Social-Emotional Learning Opportunities Funds may be used for activities authorized under the following acts: ESEA, IDEA, AEFLA, and Perkins. Additionally, funds may be used to address the unique needs of student subgroups as well as to provide mental health services and supports. Governor may use funds for subgrants or contracts to education-related entities that the Governor deems essential for providing social and emotional support. State Allocation Stipulations May reserve up to 10% (but only up to 0.5% for administrative costs). Not applicable Award Deadlines State must award funds within one year of receiving its allocation, no later than June 2021. State must award funds within one year of receiving its allocation, no later than June 2021. LEA Allocation Based on Title I formula. Governor may provide subgrants to LEAs most significantly impacted by coronavirus to support their provision of educational services to students. Deadline to Commit and Spend Funds September 30, 2022 (includes the 12-month extension period for carryover funds applicable via the Tydings Amendment) September 30, 2022 Additional Funding Resources We hope that this information is useful as you explore funding opportunities. You can find more ongoing resources for your district or school in our information on Second Step funding and our webinar on funding for SEL programs. You can also reach out to us directly by email or phone for specific questions. 1 This aid may help state and local governments mitigate potential budget cuts due to lost revenue during the pandemic, which could shore up state and local education funding. The Department of Health and Human Services has also announced that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be providing $10 billion (through ARP Act funds) to support COVID-19 screening testing for school staff and students—freeing up funding that schools planned to use for those purposes.