Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, 2021 provides $2.75 billion for the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program, which is part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund.  Under the EANS program, the Department will award grants by formula to each Governor with an approved Certification and Agreement to provide services or assistance to eligible non-public schools to address the impact that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had, and continues to have, on non-public school students and teachers in the State.

On Thursday, March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act was signed into law. It is a $1.9 trillion package of assistance measures, including $2.75 billion for the American Rescue Plan’s Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (ARP EANS) program. These funds are available to Governors under the ARP EANS program to provide services or assistance to non-public schools that enroll a significant percentage of low-income students and are most impacted by the qualifying emergency. On July 9, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education posted final requirements here regarding the implementation of ARP EANS. Under the ARP EANS program, the Department will award grants by formula to each Governor with an approved application to provide services or assistance to eligible non-public schools to address the impact that the COVID-19 emergency has had, and continues to have, on non-public school students and teachers in the State.

On September 17, 2021, the Department released an updated set of Frequently Asked Questions: Frequently Asked Questions EANS Program as authorized by the CRRSA Act and the ARP Act. The document contains revisions to the Purpose of the Document, 23 updated FAQs, and 19 new FAQs.

Key Differences Between CRRSA EANS and ARP EANS

The ARP Act extends the EANS program authorized under section 312(d) of the CRRSA Act. Accordingly, with two exceptions, the requirements of ARP EANS are the same as those in section 312(d) of the CRRSA Act. The two exceptions are:

• A State educational agency (SEA) may only provide services or assistance under ARP EANS to non-public schools that enroll a significant percentage of students from low-income families and are most impacted by COVID-19; and
• An SEA may not use ARP EANS funds to provide reimbursements to any non-public school as authorized under section 312(d)(4)(M) of the CRRSA Act.

The Department issued final requirements for the ARP EANS program that it posted on its website on July 9, 2021, and published here in the Federal Register on July 13, 2021.

If you have any questions, please email: EANS@ed.gov