American Rescue Plan - State Guide

• The Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund provides $10 billion in available funding for eligible states, territories, and tribal communities to ensure individuals’ access to high quality broadband, the implementation of broadband infrastructure improvements, and the enhancement of the overall quality of education, work, and telehealth as a direct response to the ongoing public health emergency. Funds will be allocated from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to states. States must act quickly and begin communications with their governors now. States must distribute their funding allocation by September 24, 2022. Tribal libraries can reach out to their Tribal governments; the deadline for Tribal governments to request funding is June 1, 2022. 
• For more information, check out ALA's new fact sheet: Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund: How Libraries Can Qualify.

• The $200 million allocation is the largest increase for IMLS in the agency’s 25-year history. $178 million is allocated for state library administrative agencies on a population-based formula, with a $2 million state minimum. IMLS released the allocations and will work with state library agencies to specify allowable uses for the funding.

• On May 26th IMLS announced $15 million in American Rescue Plan grants for Museum & Library Services related to pandemic response and recovery (ALA statement). These competitive grants are open to all library types, as well as Native American & Native Hawaiian communities, in addition to museums served by IMLS. Application & eligibility information can be found here (note: application deadline closed as of June 28th, 2021). 

• Libraries are eligible to apply for the new $7.172 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund through the FCC’s E-rate program. Participating libraries will receive 100 percent reimbursement for the cost of hotspots and other Wi-Fi capable devices, modems, routers, laptops, tablets and similar devices to loan to patrons. On April 5, 2021, ALA submitted comments to the FCC during the 60-day rulemaking process.
• Use ALA's new toolkit to help guide your library as you apply for funding through the program - we have compiled resources for device funding, hotspot funding, & more. (note: applications are currently closed as of October 13, 2021. Stay tuned for more information!)

• ARPA includes a massive influx – more than $360 billion – of emergency assistance to state, local and tribal community governments. This influx is intended to offset potential cuts to public health, safety, education, and library programs. For states facing less dire economic conditions, ARPA funds present an opportunity for innovative new programs and resources. Approximately 60 percent of the $360 billion will go to states, with 40 percent going to local and tribal governments.

• Funding of $130 billion is included for education costs associated with the safe reopening of K-12 schools, hiring additional staff, reducing class size, modifying school spaces, and addressing student, academic, and mental health needs. Schools will be allowed to invest in technology and support distance learning, with at least 20 percent to be used to address learning loss. Funding will flow from the Department of Education to states based on their Title I funding—the federal government’s primary program for high-poverty schools.

• Colleges and institutions of higher education will receive $40 billion to defray pandemic-related costs and provide emergency aid to students to cover expenses such as food, housing, and computer equipment. At least half of the $40 billion for higher education must be dedicated to emergency student financial aid. ARPA makes all COVID-19 student loan relief tax-free.

• $135 million each for National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities will support state and regional arts and humanities agencies. 60 percent of the funds are designated for direct grants eligible to libraries and 40 percent for grants and administration for state arts and humanities agencies.
• $39 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grants and Stabilization Fund and $1 billion for Head Start are partnership opportunities for school and public libraries.
• $9.1 billion is available for state-level afterschool and summer programs, and $21.9 billion for programs at the local level.

• American Rescue Plan: Humanities Grants for Libraries is a grantmaking program to deliver relief to libraries recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. With funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) through ARPA, the American Library Association (ALA) will distribute $2 million in ARPA funding to help anchor libraries as strong humanities institutions as they emerge and rebuild from the pandemic. The purpose of this emergency relief program is to assist libraries that have been adversely affected by the pandemic and require support to restore and sustain their core activities. ALA will distribute up to 200 ARP grants of $10,000 each to libraries, with an emphasis on reaching libraries in historically underserved and/or rural communities. Libraries will be selected through a competitive, peer-reviewed application process.
• Apply today! Applications are due December 2, 2021.

These resources can help school librarians advocate for ARPA funding. Contact your state’s AASL chapter to learn more about state advocacy plans.

ALA resources:

• The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021: Historic Opportunities for School Libraries & School Librarians
• Sample Op-Ed for School Librarians
• Sample Letter to Principal/Superintendent/Board/State
• Sample Talking Points and Elevator Speech
• ALA Letter to the Department of Education: April 2021

External resources:

• Department of Education ARPA  Announcement
• Department of Education ARPA ESSER Information
• Department of Education ARPA ESSER State Allocation Table
• Chief State School Officers List
• National Summer Learning Association: What ARPA Means for Summer and Afterschool Programs

The Department of Education (ED) has issued further guidance and have distributed money directly to colleges and universities (note: application deadline has closed as of September 10, 2021). Initial communications from ED indicate that the agency will remain focused on ensuring college campuses have access to guidance, technical assistance and examples of best practices to inform their efforts to get students back into classrooms and meet their academic, social and mental health needs.

Overall, ARPA builds on COVID-19 relief packages passed in 2020 by aiding institutions of higher education and its students as they navigate the final stages of the pandemic and early stages of recovery. ARPA provides $39.6 billion to colleges and universities and their students, more than what was provided in multiple relief packages in 2020. At least half of such funding must be spent on emergency financial aid grants to students to help them with college costs and basic needs like food, housing and health care. The other half is available to institutions of higher education to defray lost revenue and increased costs from declining enrollment; the transition to online learning; closures of revenue-producing services and facilities; and COVID-19 testing, vaccination, PPE and classroom retrofits.

ARPA requires institutions to use a portion of their funds to implement public health and safety best practices as well as to conduct outreach to financial aid applicants about opportunities for additional aid. The legislation also provides nearly $3 billion to historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions and other minority serving institutions.

This is the time for academic librarians to make their needs known to campus leadership. For the state and local funding in particular, ideas that especially focus on serving the local community would have appeal. One such appealing example might be services for local high school students or incoming university students to help make up learning losses because of the pandemic. Funding for education, state and local governments, and other priorities included in ARPA will be delivered quickly, and academic libraries are encouraged to work now to assess needs and collaborate within their institutions.

Additional Links:

• NEA: ARPA: What's In it for Higher Education?
• ACE Models on HEERF Allocations
• Department of Education General Relief Funding Information

These resources can help public librarians advocate for ARPA funding. Contact your state's ALA chapter to learn more about state advocacy plans.

ALA resources:

• Sample Letter to State/Local Official
• Response, Recovery, Resilience Template (Word document)
• ALA Workforce Policy Advocacy 
• Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund: How Libraries Can Qualify (fact sheet)

ALA Chapter resources:

If your chapter has created a resource to share, please let us know.

• Illinois Library Association: ARPA Funding for Illinois Libraries

External resources:

• IMLS ARPA Statement
• IMLS LSTA State Allotment Table
• ARPA Title-By-Title Summary
• U.S. Department of the Treasury: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund
• U.S. Department of the Treasury: Interim Final Rule on Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Usage
• Estimated Local Allocations (National League of Cities)
• Summary of Provisions (National League of Cities)
• Legislative Analysis for Counties (National Association of Counties)
• Estimated County Allocations (National Association of Counties)
• Estimated State Allocations (National Conference of State Legislatures)
• National Summer Learning Association: What ARPA Means for Summer and Afterschool Programs
• Brookings Institution: How should local leaders use their ARPA funding?
• National League of Cities: Covid-19 Pandemic Response & Relief, ARPA
• National Council of Nonprofits: Principles, Recommendations, and Models for Investing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds