Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland and Maine are the first states to apply for and receive emergency education funds totaling nearly $3 billion they can use for either K-12 or higher education, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
The fund, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, is separate from the $13.2 billion available to state and local education agencies. The Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund is essentially a block grant giving governors wide discretion in using the money to support “needs related to COVID-19.” The amounts available to states range from more than $355 million for California to about $4.4 million for Vermont.
