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Amata Welcomes $45.6 Million in CARES Act Education Funds

May 7, 2020

Washington, D.C. – Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata is welcoming $45.6 million in CARES Act federal funds supporting education in American Samoa through the Education Stabilization Fund.

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Education professionals from American Samoa last year including Director Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga visit the US Department of Education in DC

Education professionals from American Samoa last year, including Director Dr. Ruth Matagi-Tofiga, visiting the US Department of Education in DC

The CARES Act's aid includes the Education Stabilization Fund, which provides $30.75 billion nationally to support K-12 and higher education systems in the coming months.

This fund includes a combined amount of approximately $154 million for the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, which is to be distributed to these four insular areas on the basis of their respective needs as determined by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

That process awards American Samoa $45,594,123 for education through the CARES Act. This total is in two programs, $7,272,191 for the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) program, and $38,321,932 under the Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ESSER) Fund for State Education Agencies (SEA).

Based on that process, these amounts for American Samoa are higher than either CNMI or USVI, less than Guam, which has a larger population, as shown here (Source: DOE/DOI) in this chart:

OUTLYING AREA

TOTAL AWARD

AMOUNT FOR GOVERNORS BASED ON GEER
FUND FORMULA

AMOUNT FOR SEAS BASED
ON ESSER FUND FORMULA

TOTAL

153,750,000

30,750,000

123,000,000

AMERICAN SAMOA

45,594,123

7,272,191

38,321,932

GUAM

54,021,960

12,499,963

41,521,997

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

27,940,945

4,777,211

23,163,734

VIRGIN ISLANDS

26,192,972

6,200,635

19,992,337

Thank you to President Trump and Secretary DeVos," continued Congresswoman Amata. "We look forward to a future with this pandemic behind us and our schools as busy as ever. Until then, we can keep working to pull through this time together."

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Secretary DeVos is across the table from Congresswoman Amata at an education policy meeting at the Capitol

Secretary DeVos is across the table from Congresswoman Amata in an education policy meeting at the Capitol (file photo)

The amounts each state receive vary widely according to the share of Title I and Pell Grant students that attend school in each state.

With a larger population than the other island territories, Puerto Rico, along with the District of Columbia, was considered separately under the formula along with the 50 states.

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Issues:Education