May 2021 C&RL News241

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n eKevin Maher

Kevin Maher is deputy director of government relations 
in ALA’s Washington Office, email: kmaher@alawash.org

Gains for higher education included in 
American Rescue Plan Act 
One of the largest spending bills ever approved by Con-
gress—the $1.9 trillion-dollar American Rescue Plan Act 
(ARPA)—includes unprecedented levels of direct and 
indirect funding for libraries, including for academic and 
research libraries.   

The Department of Education (ED) is expected to issue 
further guidance and begin distributing money directly to 
colleges and universities. Academic librarians should consider 
now where funding could support their activities. 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 ($14 billion 
in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, 
or CARES Act and $21 billion in December’s Coronavirus 
Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriation Act, or 
CRRSAA). 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 educa-
tion 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 op-
portunities 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. 

ARPA also includes emergency relief funding for 
additional national priorities, which may benefit libraries 
indirectly. Creative thinking and collaboration by academic 

librarians within their institutions may allow them to take 
advantage of these sources of funding, such as:  

• State and Local Aid. ARPA includes $360 billion in 
state and local assistance. This funding provides states and 
localities with flexibility on how monies are spent in respond-
ing to economic losses relating to COVID-19. For example, 
funds could help mitigate dramatic cuts to public sector 
employees, including those for higher education (estimates 
of more than 650,000 jobs have been lost). The funding 
will direct $195 billion to state governments, $130 billion 
to local governments, and $25 billion to tribal and territory 
governments. Academic librarians should assess their needs, 
with emphasis on COVID-19 emergency, and work with 
their institutions and other partners as they consider how 
these funds may benefit them.  

• IMLS/LSTA Funding. $200 million for libraries 
through the Institute of Museum and Library Services 
(IMLS) is included in ARPA, with 89 percent ($178 mil-
lion) allocated for state library administrative agencies (us-
ing the Grants to States formula after a $2 million state 
minimum and $200,000 minimum for territories). IMLS 
is currently working with state library agencies to provide 
guidance on allowable uses of funding. Congressional intent 
was for this funding to be as flexible as possible to allow each 
state and territory the freedom to address its individual library 
needs. While most LSTA funding benefits public libraries, 
IMLS has awarded grants to other library types. 

• Arts and Humanities. The final ARPA package 
includes $135 million each for the National Endowment 
for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. 
With further guidance for NEA and NEH grants expected 
in the coming weeks. Academic libraries that work with 
on-campus arts programs are encouraged to collaborate on 
possible grant applications. 

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 encour-
aged to work now to assess needs and collaborate within 
their institutions. 

mailto:kmaher%40alawash.org?subject=