Emergency grants for colleges

Summary#

The Emergency Preparedness in Higher Education Act would create a new federal grant program run by FEMA; it does not amend an existing Act. Its stated goal is to help eligible higher education institutions create or expand emergency preparedness programs. The bill was introduced and referred to a House committee; it is not law, and whether it will pass is uncertain.

  • FEMA would have to establish the program within 180 days after enactment.
  • Eligible institutions would include historically Black colleges and universities; Hispanic-serving, Tribal, Alaska Native-serving, Native Hawaiian-serving, Predominantly Black, Native American-serving nontribal, and Asian-American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions; institutions of higher education under the Higher Education Act; and vocational-technical and career colleges.
  • Institutions would have to apply. FEMA would evaluate applications among institutions of the same type. Grants would range from $250,000 to $5 million.
  • Grant-funded activities could include emergency planning staff, emergency management plans, emergency operations centers or shelter areas, and equipment and technology for coordination and situational awareness.
  • FEMA would have to report to Congress on the grants’ experience and effectiveness within three years of enactment.

What it means for you#

  • Eligible institutions: A college or university would have to apply and describe its needs and proposed uses. The application must also explain how its plans would support students, administrators, and faculty, and address disaster recovery and related needs.
  • Institutions awarded grants: They would have to use the money to create or expand programs offering emergency preparedness resources to enrolled students. The bill lists personnel, planning, facilities, equipment, and technology as possible uses.
  • Students, faculty, and administrators: The bill does not give individuals a direct payment or guarantee a particular service. Any support would depend on an institution receiving a grant and how it uses the money.
  • Taxpayers: The bill authorizes federal funding, but does not itself appropriate the funds.

Money#

The bill authorizes Congress to appropriate $100 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, or $500 million total; it does not provide a cost estimate.

  • Grants must be at least $250,000 and no more than $5 million.
  • No estimate is given for FEMA’s administration costs or institutions’ costs to apply for or run grant-funded activities.
  • The bill does not state how many grants would be awarded or require institutions to contribute matching funds.

What is unclear#

  • The bill does not set application deadlines, detailed award criteria, timelines for decisions, or an appeal process.
  • It does not explain how FEMA should decide which institutions count as the “same type,” or how it would handle an institution that fits more than one type.
  • The application must address a wide range of disaster recovery needs, but the bill does not clearly explain how those needs relate to the listed examples of grant-funded activities.
  • It does not say how this program would work alongside existing emergency preparedness or disaster recovery programs.
  • The bill does not set a start date unless and until it becomes law, and does not guarantee that Congress will appropriate the authorized funds.

Case for#

  • The bill appears intended to help colleges build emergency planning and response capacity before disasters, rather than relying only on recovery after one.
  • A possible argument for the grants is that they could fund practical resources such as planning staff, emergency plans, shelter areas, and tools for coordination with law enforcement and other agencies.
  • The bill includes institutions serving a range of student populations and types of education, and allows grants for both creating and expanding programs.

Case against#

  • One concern is that the bill authorizes up to $500 million but does not explain how FEMA would rank applications or divide funds among eligible institutions.
  • The program’s goals and application requirements cover preparedness, disaster recovery, displaced students, facilities, and educational materials, while the allowed-use section gives a different, narrower set of examples. The link between them is unclear.
  • It is unclear how FEMA would avoid overlap with other federal programs or measure whether grants meet the bill’s objectives.