Washington, Jul 6 (Bureau) The Biden administration invited individual states to apply for an additional $600 million from the American Rescue Plan to aid students experiencing homelessness, the Education Department said on Tuesday. “In April, the Department released the first $200 million of the $800 million in ARP-HCY [American Rescue Plan – Homeless Children and Youth] funds to states. The distribution of the additional $600 million will give states and school districts access to funding before the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year,” a department press release said.
ARP-HCY refers to the Homeless Children and Youth Fund earmark in the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 focused American Rescue Plan Act. “I encourage every state to urgently use these American Rescue Plan funds to support homeless children and youth so that these students have every chance to participate in summer learning and enrichment; experience full-time, in-person instruction in their schools in the fall; and get connected to vital services and supports that can support their success,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in the release. The release noted that the shift by schools to remote learning during the pandemic disproportionately impacted homeless students due to limited internet access.