Student Veterans of America®
Student Veterans of America®  |  News
Student Veterans of America®
National Conference
MySVA Login
About Us
Mission & Vision
History
Our Team
Work For SVA
Partners & Supporters
Financials
Chapters
Find A Chapter
Establish A Chapter
Chapter Guide
Introduction
Chapter Onboarding
Chapter Officers
Chapter Operations
Chapter Relationships
Chapter Programming
Chapter Communications
Chapter Marketing & Branding
Chapter Development
Update Chapter Contact Info
Alumni
Programs & Events
9/11 Day of Service
The Leadership Institute
VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship
Scholarships
Washington Week
Regional Summits
Student Resources
SVA Liaisons
Career Services Liaisons
Disability Services Liaisons
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Liaisons
Policy Liaisons
Research
Featured Projects & Publications
Life Cycle Atlas
Veteran Opinion Survey
Financial Health Survey
Basic Needs Survey
SVA Census
NVEST
Million Records Project
Government Affairs
Campus Advocacy
Policy Suggestion Portal
Natural Disaster Map
In-State Tuition Map
Resident Tuition Overview
Career Center
Partner Directory
VMock
Veterati
Career Board
News
Give
Donate
SVA Store
Partner with SVA
SVA Ambassadors
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC)
Amazon Smile
Participate in Research
Donate
Contact
← Return to News

Top Ten Takeaways: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

03/10/2021

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is the most recent round of COVID-19 relief legislation. It passed Congress on March 10, 2021 and is headed to the President’s desk where it is expected to be signed quickly. The bill includes important relief for students, especially post-traditional students like student veterans, members of the military, their families, and survivors.  

Some of the most important provisions in the bill will provide greater access for students to emergency aid grants, childcare, internet access, health care, food and housing aid, and unemployment assistance, if eligible. The bill also provides another round of direct-assistance payments up to $1,400 for qualifying households, closes the harmful 90-10 loophole to protect students using Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense education benefits, and creates new rapid employment retraining benefit for unemployed veterans. 

Top 10 Takeaways: 

 

Support for Students in Higher Education 

The bill sets aside roughly $40 billion to support institutions and students in higher education, including additional emergency aid grants for students. The legislation also closes the 90-10 loophole by counting Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense education assistance as federal funds for the purposes of the 90-10 rule, which provides a quality assurance check on proprietary institutions of higher learning. This eliminates the associated incentive for bad-actor proprietary schools to target student veterans and members of the military for their education benefits. 

 

Additional Direct Stimulus Payments 

Independent students, those not claimed as a dependent by someone else, who make up to $75,000 per year will receive direct stimulus payments of $1,400. Married couples making up to $150,000 per year would receive $2,800. Payments in lesser amounts will be disbursed to individuals and couples up to cut-off caps of $80,000 and $160,000 respectively. Eligible recipients will also receive $1,400 for each dependent.  

 

Basic Needs Assistance 
  • Approximately $20 billion is provided to defray rental costs for low-income households. Another $5 billion is set aside to address homelessness during the pandemic by providing vouchers to those who are currently homeless, at risk of homelessness, victims of domestic and sexual violence, and qualifying veterans specifically, among others.  
  • Current foreclosure protections were extended until June 30th via an earlier Executive Order, and nearly $10 billion is set aside in this bill to help prevent foreclosures, mortgage delinquency, and utility loss. 
  • The bill also includes $100 million for rural housing grants to those experiencing hardship. 
  • The bill increases funding for the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) by $4.5 to provide additional aid to low-income households struggling with heating and cooling costs. 
  • $880 million is set aside for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program implementation and modernization and extends 15% increase to SNAP until September 2021. 

 

Support for Healthcare Services

The bill provides $7.6 billion for community health centers and community care to carry out vaccine related activities. An additional $47.8 billion is dedicated to funding COVID-19 mitigation efforts like testing, diagnosing, and tracing infections. Additional funding is provided to support healthcare in several other areas such as the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps, rural healthcare assistance, and tribal health care programs, among others.  

 

Boosts for Mental Health Supports   

Over $3.5 billion appropriated for behavioral and mental health services and support.  

 

Child Care Assistance 

Roughly $39 billion is set aside to support childcare providers, agencies, and administration across the country. This includes nearly $15 billion in additional funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which will be used to provide childcare for essential workers during the pandemic with no income level requirements.  

Relatedly, the bill also increases the 2021 Child Tax Credit (CTC) to $3,000 for families with children under the age of 17 and $3600 for those with children under 6. Previous base-level income limitations have been removed, but income caps remain, the credit has been made entirely refundable, and associated refunds can be paid out monthly, throughout the year.  

 

Help to Access Reliable Internet

Nearly $7 billion for technology investment for schools, including the ability to purchase the hardware, software, and connectivity products for students necessary to meet educational needs. In addition, a homeowner assistance fund is established to provide technology-specific financial assistance to homeowners who have experienced hardship due to COVID-19. Eligible homeowners may use this assistance to pay for internet service access and broadband internet services, among other things. 

These are in addition to the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program established last December and approved late February by the FCC which provides a monthly stipend to low-income households to purchase internet connectivity and hardware. 

 

Extended Unemployment Assistance

The bill extends many existing unemployment assistance provisions from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act including Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) at $300 per week, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC). It also extends Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which was established separately through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

The American Rescue Plan Act extends these unemployment assistance programs through September 6, 2021. A brief explanation of each is provided below.

  • FPUC currently provides individuals with $300 in federal unemployment assistance in addition to what they are eligible to receive through state unemployment insurance.
  • PUA is available to those who are unable to qualify for normal unemployment insurance.
  • PEUC allows states to extend the number of weeks individuals can receive regular unemployment insurance.
  • MEUC provides unemployment assistance for independent contractors, freelancers, gig-workers and the self-employed.

For more information, including how to apply, visit the Department of Labor’s webpage on Unemployment Insurance Relief During the COVID-19 Outbreak.

 

Additional Veteran-Specific Supports

The legislation creates a rapid employment retraining benefit for eligible, unemployed veterans. The new temporary, emergency program will provide financial assistance to eligible veterans, most notably those without any GI Bill eligibility, covering up to 12 months of re-training through an approved course of education as well as a housing allowance to help unemployed veterans secure employment.   

The bill also temporarily eliminates co-pays and other cost sharing for individuals who have or will receive VA healthcare between April 6, 2020 and September 30, 2021. Reimbursements are authorized for those who already paid a co-pay during this time.  

The law also provides roughly $15 billion to execute these and other provisions including those related to VA claims and appeals, VA healthcare services, VA supply chain modernization, state home facilities, and an emergency VA employee leave fund. 

 

Student Loan Forgiveness is Now Tax-Free

The bill also requires any student loan debt forgiveness that passes between December 31, 2020 and January 1, 2026 be considered tax-free. Previously, any forgiveness student loan debt was treated as taxable income.  

 

 

SVA Celebrates Major End-of-Year Policy Victories

Advocacy

VA Delays New Enrollment Manager System to Reduce Impact on Student Veterans

SVA Quarterly Newsletter (Fall 2022)

Federal Government Announces New Actions on Student Loan Debt

PACT Act Status Update

Advocacy

SVA presents testimony on pending legislation before the HVAC EO

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Student Veterans of America announce 2022 Patriot Scholarship Recipients

Advocacy

ED to Accept DD-214s in Certifying Military Service for Public Student Loan Forgiveness

Student Veterans of America Receives $8 Million Grant from MacKenzie Scott

Student Veterans of America Names Three Board Members, Including Current Student and Recent Graduate

Events

Watch the 2022 State of SVA

Events

NatCon 2022 SVA Honors Award Recipients

Events

Student Veterans of America Awards Inaugural Senator Bob Dole Continued Service Award to Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation

Events

Media Advisory: Student Veterans of America (SVA) 2022 National Conference

Advocacy

COVID-19 Protections Extended and Rounding Out Restored

Events

SVA Honors: Meet our Finalists

COVID-19 Benefit Protections and Rounding Out: Updates for Student Veterans

NatCon 2022: Registration is Open!

What the New PSLF Changes Mean for Service Members and Veterans 

SVA Joins MTV Entertainment’s Mental Health Youth Action Forum

Rutgers CMSI and Student Veterans of America Partner to Support Student Veterans at MSIs

SVA Alumni Participates in Foreign Affairs Information Technology (FAIT) Fellowship

Student Veterans of America Joins Welcome.US

Comcast NBCUniversal and SVA Announce 2021 Scholarship Recipients

Applications Open for 2022 VFW, SVA Legislative Fellowship

Current Events in Afghanistan: What can Chapter Leaders do to Help?  

A Message to Our Community in Response to Current Events in Afghanistan

VHA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Listening Sessions for Veterans

Appropriations Brief: Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Education  

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

SVA Announces 2021 Google Scholarship Recipients

Meet the SVA Programs & Services Team

Court: Veterans with Multiple Periods of Service Entitled to Additional GI Bill Benefits

Events

Stay Engaged this Summer with Chapter Events

Refresh of Higher Education Regulations Announced

Student Veterans of America Names Two Board Members

What Revitalizing America’s Infrastructure Could Mean for Student Veterans 

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and SVA Announce 2021 SPY-6 Scholarship Recipients

House Approves Several SVA Policy Priorities

Partners

Veteran Wellness Alliance Offers Trusted Care Through Check-In

SVA Joins First National Mental Health Action Day

SVA Joins Vietnam War Commemorative Partners

Top Ten Takeaways: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Events

Watch the 2021 State of SVA

Events

2021 SVA Honors Award Recipients

Events

The 2021 SVA Honors Gala: Meet our Finalists

COVID-19 FAQs

What the CARES Act Means for Student Veterans, Service Members, and their Families

Events

Join SVA for the National Day of Service

Advocacy, COVID-19

Final Bills of the 116th Congress

Advocacy, COVID-19

Major Veteran Legislation Clears Congress

SVA Statement on VA Office of Inspector General Report

Events

NatCon Returns: February 19-20

Events

GVSU Announces Veteran Promise

Events

SVA Debuts Public Service Announcement

Events

Jared Lyon Delivers Veterans Day Remarks

Events

How to Stream Veterans Day Events

#VOTE Like a Veteran

Events

Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Student Veterans of America announce 2020 Patriot Scholarship Recipients

Events

Jared Lyon Named 2020 NYC Veterans Day Grand Marshal

Advocacy

Volunteer to Power The Polls

Advocacy, COVID-19

Pandemic Assistance for Student Veterans Act Introduced

Events

Veterans Day on Your Campus: Virtual Event Ideas

Events

Leadership Institute Applications Open

Advocacy

Moving Beyond Patchwork Systems: The Future of Education Services IT

Events

Regional Summit Starts on September 26th

Advocacy

Legislative Updates: Fall 2020

Research

Survey Finds 96% of Student Veterans Will Vote

Partners

Apply for the Raytheon Patriot Scholarship

Partners

Resources for Student Veterans During COVID-19

Events

Watch Home with the Brave: A Graduation Salute

SVA

1012 14th Street NW, 12th Floor
Washington D.C. 20005
Telephone: (202) 223-4710

About Us Our Team Chapters
Programs & Events Research Government Affairs
Career Center News Financials
Privacy Policy Terms of Use Donate
© 2023 Student Veterans of America® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.