Grant Details

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Authority

Summary

History of Funding

Grants to LEAs - $60 million total. Individual LEA allocations are available at https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/COVID-19_Governors_Emergency_Education_Relief_GEER_Fund_701813_7.xlsx

Grants to IHES - $24 million total for the Future of Frontliners Scholarship Program. Of this, an estimated $15 million will be used for community college participants and $8 million for GED and CTE supports for adults without a high school diploma. The remaining amount is available for administrative purposes.

Grants to other Education-Related Entities - $5.4 million further distributed as follows:

• Statewide mental health and social-emotional learning support - $1.5 million
• Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and the Michigan Virtual University partnership - $1.4 million
• Michigan Public Television - $1.5 million
• Early On - $1 million

Additional Information

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has decided that the state's GEER allocation will be used for emergency support through grants to the following:

• LEAs determined by the MDE to have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus.
• IHEs that the Governor determines have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus. These institutions include public and private universities and community colleges. Funding is planned to be used for the Futures for Frontliners program. 
• Other education-related entities within the State that the Governor deems essential for carrying out emergency educational services.

Grants to LEAs - GEER funds will target districts that are determined to be most significantly impacted by COVID-19. To ensure these districts are targeted, the framework distributes funding to school districts based on the number of students in high-need student groups. Recipient districts will be required to use GEER funds for any of the following policy goals:

• Connectivity: Devices, internet access, access to remote services, or other similar purposes.
• Student Mental Health: Funding would enhance access to remote and in-person student mental health services.
• Addressing Learning Loss: Funding could be used by districts to offer supplementary content and intervention services to mitigate the impacts of learning loss.
• Out-of-School-Time Learning: Funds could be used to support out-of-school-time learning. These expenditures would ensure students have safe spaces to participate in remote education.
• Remote Learning Materials and Training (digital and non-digital): Funds could address both digital and non-digital content where remote learning continues as an instructional delivery model. 
• Teacher Training and Curriculum: Funding could be used to provide additional professional development and curriculum modifications that allow districts to effectively facilitate distance learning while expanding their knowledge of the science of teaching. 
• Other health, safety, and wellness needs identified, required, or recommended in the MI Return to School Roadmap.

Districts will receive funding ($87 per pupil) based on their numbers of economically disadvantaged students, special education students, and English language learners. To be eligible for funding, the school district's concentration of economically disadvantaged pupils, compared to total district enrollment, must exceed 50%. Additional details are available at https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Important_Information_GEER_-_MEGS+_002_707858_7.pdf.

Grants to IHES - GEER funds will be used for the Future for Frontliners Program, which provides scholarship opportunities for workers on the frontline” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible workers will receive up to two years of last-dollar tuition assistance at a community college. Those who have not already earned a high school diploma or equivalent may enroll in the state's adult education programs to complete GED preparation classes along with career and technical education. To be eligible, a student must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Not previously earned a college degree (BA or AA) 
• Submit a FAFSA
• Have worked in an essential industry at least half time for at least 11 of the 13 weeks during the second quarter (April 1 – June 30) of 2020. Essential industries may include but are not limited to, healthcare, public safety, transit, bank tellers, grocery workers, and food service.  

To maintain eligibility, students will be expected to enroll at least part-time, complete a degree or certificate within four years, and must maintain a 2.0 GPA for courses taken. Additional details are available at https://www.michigan.gov/frontliners/

Grants to other Education-Related Entities - This funding would be distributed as follows:

• Statewide mental health and social-emotional learning supports. Additional details are available at https://michiganvirtual.org/sel/michigan-cares/
• Funding a partnership between Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and the Michigan Virtual University for the implementation of teacher professional learning practices and standards developed by the Governor's Education Advisory Council (GEAC). Funding would train teachers on how to implement these standards through digital communication tools and online instructional strategies. Additional details are available at https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-5683_13651_95083---,00.html#:~:text=The%20Governor's%20Educator%20Advisory%20Council%20consists%20of%2015%20voting%20members,Michigan%20Teacher%20of%20the%20Year.
• Support for educational programming on public television. Programs should reach children where other virtual programming is challenging. Programming should be coupled with supports for educators on how to use it in conjunction with broader virtual/remote education plans. Additional details are available at https://www.wkar.org/post/wkar-partners-michigan-public-tv-stations-and-educators-create-new-learning-service#stream/0
• Support for "Early On". This funding should allow the existing program to reach more infants and toddlers through remote early intervention. Additional details are available at https://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-6530_6809-127141--,00.html

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