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Education Stabilization Fund
The Response and Relief Act uses the CARES Act's Education Stabilization Fund, with modifications, as the
mechanism for distributing $82 billion in new emergency funding. As with CARES, the new law provides
discretionary education resources to governors through the GEER fund, sends money to state departments of
education and school districts through the ESSER fund, and directs money to higher education institutions
through the HEER fund. Unlike the CARES Act, the new law includes a significant set aside for non-public schools
to be administered by state education agencies and governors. It also includes new reporting requirements for
states and subgrantees that receive ESSER funds and provides for some changes and additions to the program's
eligible uses (the uses remain very flexible).
Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER, $4.1 billion)
The Response and Relief Act's GEER funding will be distributed to states as follows:
● 60% based on the relative population of individuals aged 5 through 24; and
● 40% based on the relative number of children counted under ESEA section 1124(c).
GEER funds may be used for:
● Emergency support to LEAs that the SEA deems have been most significantly impacted by the coronavirus
to continue to provide educational services to students and to support the ongoing functionality of the LEA.
● Emergency support to institutions of higher education that the Governor determines have been most
significantly impacted by the coronavirus to continue to provide educational services and support the
ongoing functionality of the institution.
● Provide support to any other institution of higher education, LEA, or education-related entity within the
