Federal Funds for Higher Ed: Where to Find Them; How to Use Them

Recent federal stimulus programs sent billions of dollars to higher education. This session will break down significant higher education funding streams in the CARES Act, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA Act), and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This conversation will explore how these funds may be used to improve student outcomes, modernize legacy technologies, launch new services and more. We will also provide real-world examples and advice from institutions that have tapped federal funding streams to address important technology needs.

In this session, we will explore the following questions:

• What do federal stimulus funds mean to higher education in terms of opportunity and how have institutions used them?
• What process does the CIO employ to access these funds and how does that influence decision-making?
• What challenges have these funds helped universities overcome for students?
• What role does other federal funding play in a university’s IT planning for academics, operations, and research?
• What compliance challenges do these federal funding sources introduce and how do institutions address them?