DIVERSE ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION — The American Rescue Plan (ARP) last year provided one of history’s biggest one-time infusions of federal dollars to community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and other higher education institutions through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). On Monday, the Department of Education (ED) announced a state-by-state breakdown of funding for colleges and universities that came from ARP. “Imagine what the headline would be today if those HEERF funds weren’t there,” said Dr. Miguel Cardona, United States Secretary of Education. “We know that these funds are going towards taking care of students’ basic needs like housing and nutrition. I talked to a student at a tribal college who was living out of her car. The needs are great out there.” More than $10 billion went to over 1,000 community colleges. In addition, more than $2.7 billion went to HBCUs, and almost $1 billion went to Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). About $11 billion were provided to Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) while more than $190 million went to Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).