COVID-19 Funding

Coronavirus Relief Fund

The Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) was established by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 and provided $3.6 billion to North Carolina state government. The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated CRF through a series of several bills.

Of that $3.6 billion, $1.3 billion went to supporting state agencies and local governments. $664 million went to supporting public services, which include child welfare programs and housing and food assistance programs. $826 million was provided to the healthcare industry, which included COVID-19 testing and vaccine preparedness and payments to healthcare providers. $478 million went to supporting early education and childcare, K-12, and higher education. $208 million went to support North Carolina businesses. $36 million went to support individual North Carolinians through unemployment services and increased worker protections. Finally, CRF supported $21 million in infrastructure projects, with the majority dedicated to expanding broadband.

As of November 2022, NCPRO submitted its final reports on CRF to both the North Carolina General Assembly and the U.S. Department of Treasury. Learn more from the CRF Expenditure Dashboard and success stories from CRF recipients.

Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund

North Carolina received $222.7 million in Governors Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds from the CARES Act and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which was administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The Governor is responsible for awarding funds to education entities under GEER 1 ($95.6 million) and GEER 2 ($42.2 million) programs that aim to help school districts, postsecondary institutions, or other education-related entities address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

GEER 1 funds were used to hire student health staff and academic support personnel in more than 170 school districts and charter schools, help more than 5,200 students pursue industry-recognized credentials, and provide emergency financial aid to more than 6,900 college students. GEER 2 funds were used to help students access college and earn degrees, support mental health initiatives across state postsecondary institutions, and for equity-focused initiatives for K-12 and postsecondary students and families. Funds were also directed to help more North Carolinians become fully licensed teachers.

Federal law allocates the remaining $84.8 million to the Emergency Assistance for Non-public Schools (EANS 1 and EANS 2) program, which provides funding for services or assistance to eligible nonpublic schools to address educational disruptions caused by COVID-19. The program is administered by the NC Department of Public Instruction, with NCPRO providing administrative oversight and federal reporting.  

Emergency Rental Assistance Fund

The Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program assisted households that were unable to pay rent and utilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic with $979 million in federal funds awarded to the State of North Carolina through two programs. The ERA 1 program was authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, and the ERA 2 program was authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.  

NCPRO is responsible for the oversight, administration, and federal reporting for the state’s allocation of the ERA funds. Additionally, The U.S. Treasury allocated an additional $280 million directly to 18 local governments, and $24.4 million was provided to five tribal governments in North Carolina for the ERA Program. NCPRO is working with the local and tribal governments to coordinate programs and is providing technical assistance where needed.  

Homeowner Assistance Fund

North Carolina received $273.3 million for the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to provide financial assistance to homeowners experiencing hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds from this program were used to prevent homeowner delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, and other homeowner-related expenses. NCPRO is responsible for the oversight, administration, and federal reporting for the state’s allocation of HAF funds.

Capital Projects Fund

North Carolina received $273.5 million for the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help ensure that all communities have access to the high-quality modern infrastructure, including broadband, needed to access critical services. Funds from this program are being used for the Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program to build broadband infrastructure and provide service to areas that lack adequate access to internet.  

Economic Development Administration Grants

North Carolina received $6.4 million for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Tourism Grant through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to support communities whose travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds are being used to help rebuild a more equitable, competitive, and resilient industry.  

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) Strategy Grant provided $1 million to support North Carolina’s economic recovery planning and capacity-building efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds enabled initiatives such as the NC Community and Business Engagement Surveys, which collected real-time data to inform evidence-based decision-making and enhance recovery planning. They also supported targeted research and collaboration with stakeholders to address emerging regional challenges and provided financial subawards and shared data tools to regional planning entities, particularly in under-resourced areas, to strengthen recovery planning capacity.