The Heroes Act: Education-Related Provisions. CRS Report R46506, Version 2

Overview & Synopsis

In response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, Congress and the Administration have taken several actions to support the continued education of elementary, secondary, and higher education students and to protect student loan borrowers and educational institutions from related economic hardship. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136, as amended) was enacted on March 27, 2020, to authorize the Secretary of Education (hereinafter referred to as the Secretary) to grant flexibilities and waivers of various statutory and regulatory provisions due to the COVID-19 emergency; to provide relief to postsecondary education students and student loan borrowers; to provide financial support to states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to maintain operations and continue supporting students; and to assist other purposes not directly related to education. The House passed the Heroes Act (H.R. 6800) on May 15, 2020 to continue supporting the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the federal government, including its response via several education-related programs. This report provides brief summaries of key provisions in the Heroes Act that would affect elementary, secondary, and higher education students and student loan borrowers. The report begins by describing supplemental funding the act would make available to educational providers and in support of broadband educational infrastructure. This is followed by sections describing amendments that would be made to CARES Act education-related provisions, and sections describing Heroes Act provisions that would provide relief to private and federal student loan borrowers. The report concludes with descriptions of bill provisions that would authorize new waivers and flexibilities pertaining to existing legislative requirements in the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended; the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (Perkins), as amended; and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), as amended.