{"id":47686,"date":"2021-05-17T04:00:34","date_gmt":"2021-05-17T11:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=47686"},"modified":"2025-06-27T00:39:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T07:39:25","slug":"american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-for-education-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/american-rescue-plan-act-of-2021-for-education-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for education: overview"},"content":{"rendered":"

March 2020 saw a watershed moment for the American education system. Suddenly, it was no longer safe for students to be in classrooms; they and their teachers could catch or spread a potentially deadly disease. Distance learning became de rigueur.<\/span><\/p>\n

To aid Americans struggling during the crisis, the American government first passed the CARES Act and another sweeping relief package recently known as \u201cThe American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.\u201d It has a substantial impact on the American education system. In this post, we break down its effect on the K-12 system, higher education, and education-related programs such as Head Start. We\u2019ll also look at the differences between this act and the previously enacted CARES Act.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"American\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
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\nAmerican Rescue Plan Act funding data for education by state<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGet the Guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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How does the American Rescue Plan compare with the CARES Act?<\/b><\/h2>\n

The CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act<\/span><\/a> was passed into law on March 27, 2020. It was enacted at the beginning of the public health crisis and was designed to aid Americans directly impacted by the outbreak.<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost exactly a year later, the government passed the American Rescue Plan. Commentators noted that the American Rescue Plan builds off of the CARES Act; it was the government\u2019s response to calls for increased federal funding in the wake of severe economic damage wrought by the crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s one significant difference between the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan: the CARES Act limited expenditures directly related or incurred as a result of the pandemic, while the American Rescue Plan empowers local governments to use funding for a broader array of needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

The CARES Act established the\u00a0<\/span>Education Stabilization Fund (ESF)<\/span><\/a> to help educational institutions respond to the public health crisis. Three other funds comprise the ESF:<\/span><\/p>\n