Higher Education Disaster Relief CFDA 84.938 | Apply Online

Higher Education Disaster Relief (HEDR) Grant (CFDA 84.938 / 84.938R) - FAQs

What is the Higher Education Disaster Relief (HEDR) grant?

The Higher Education Disaster Relief (HEDR) grant is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary grant program (CFDA 84.938, sometimes shown as 84.938R) created to help colleges and universities recover from specific natural disasters that occurred during calendar year 2008.

What is the main purpose of this grant program?

The central goal is to provide financial relief to institutions of higher education (IHEs) whose campuses and operations were directly affected by hurricanes, floods, or other natural disasters in 2008 in areas where the President issued a major disaster declaration under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (including major disaster declarations under section 401).

What types of disasters does the program cover?

The opportunity targets natural disasters in calendar year 2008, including hurricanes, floods, or other natural disasters, as long as they are tied to a presidential major disaster declaration for the location involved.

Does the location of the institution matter for eligibility?

Yes. Eligible applicants must be located in an area covered by a 2008 presidential major disaster declaration under the Stafford Act. The notice points applicants to FEMA mapping and listing resources to verify whether their institution is in an eligible declared disaster area.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to institutions of higher education as defined in section 101 or section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) that are located in an eligible 2008 major disaster-declared area.

Are both public and private colleges/universities eligible?

Yes. Both public/state-controlled and private nonprofit institutions can apply if they meet the statutory IHE definition and are located in an eligible geographic area tied to a 2008 presidential major disaster declaration.

What is the legal authority behind the eligibility limits?

The legal authority and eligibility restrictions are tied to the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 110-329), which limits who can receive funds and under what circumstances.

What kinds of costs can grant funds be used for?

Allowable uses are focused on defraying expenses and losses the institution incurred because of damage directly caused by the covered 2008 disasters. The notice describes allowable categories that include lost revenue, reimbursement for eligible expenses already paid by the institution, and certain construction needs associated with recovery.

Can the grant cover lost revenue?

Yes. The grant can be used for lost revenue, such as revenue shortfalls resulting from disaster-driven interruptions.

Can the grant reimburse the institution for costs it already paid?

Yes. The opportunity allows reimbursement for eligible expenses the institution already paid out of pocket, as long as the expenses and losses are tied to damage directly caused by the covered 2008 disasters.

Is construction an allowable use of funds?

Certain construction needs associated with disaster recovery are described as allowable in the opportunity, within the program's narrow focus on expenses and losses incurred due to damage directly caused by the covered 2008 disasters.

Can institutions use HEDR funds to provide grants to students?

Yes. Grantee institutions may use funds to provide grants to their students who attend the institution for academic years beginning on or after July 1, 2008. This is intended to reduce student hardship connected to disaster impacts while keeping the program anchored in institutional disaster relief.

Is there a cost-sharing or matching requirement?

No. The notice states there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.

How much funding was anticipated and how many awards were expected?

The competition anticipated about 50 awards and an estimated total funding level of $15,000,000.

Is the application process a single submission, or are there multiple steps?

The opportunity requires a two-step submission process: (1) a required pre-application data information form, and (2) a full application and budget submitted after the Department calculates and provides an institutional allotment.

What is the pre-application data information form and why is it required?

The pre-application data information form is required before submitting a full application. It is used by the Department to calculate an institutional allotment. It is not simply a notice of intent.

What happens after the pre-application is submitted?

After the pre-application deadline, the Department calculates the applicant's allotment and emails the amount to the contact person listed on the form, generally within about one week. The institution then finalizes and submits the full application and budget through Grants.gov.

How must applications be submitted?

Applications had to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov. The notice emphasizes that applications cannot be emailed to the Department as a substitute for submitting through Grants.gov.

How do applicants find the correct application package in Grants.gov?

Applicants were instructed to search for the application package using the CFDA number without the alpha suffix (search for 84.938 rather than 84.938R).

Were there corrected deadlines for this opportunity?

Yes. The posting included a correction notice because the Federal Register notice initially listed incorrect deadlines. The corrected deadlines set the pre-application deadline to February 4, 2009, and the final application deadline to March 19, 2009.

When was the opportunity posted and when was it archived?

The opportunity was posted January 16, 2009 and later archived in April 2009, reflecting that it was a time-limited disaster relief competition tied to 2008 events and FY 2009 funding.

Who should applicants contact for Grants.gov technical support?

For Grants.gov technical issues, the notice directs applicants to the Grants.gov Helpdesk (with phone and email provided in the announcement).

Who should applicants contact for program questions?

For program questions, the announcement directs applicants to the Department's program manager (Cassandra Courtney) and the HEDR program email address.

Which document controls the official rules and requirements for the competition?

The notice advises that the opportunity summary is only a synopsis and that the controlling requirements, submission rules, and any priorities or performance measures are contained in the official Federal Register application notice.