This FAQ contains questions and answers related to funding received by ACL 

from CDC to help vaccinate vulnerable and at-risk older adults. 

(Issued 4/9/2021)

PURPOSE OF FUNDING

On March 29, President Biden announced that the administration was taking further action to 

expand access to COVID-19 vaccines. One action included in this expansion is that through a 

partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration 

for Community Living (ACL), ACL would provide nearly $100 million to help increase vaccinations 

among older adults and people with disabilities. ACL awarded $50 million to State Units on Aging to 

be distributed to Area Agencies on Aging, where the SUA and AAAs are not a single PSA, to serve 

older adults and their caregivers for the following purposes:

o Disseminating credible information about COVID-19 vaccines and help direct those with 

questions to additional sources of information, 

o Identifying people who may need help getting a COVID-19 vaccination, including those who 

are unable to independently travel to a vaccination site, 

o Helping with scheduling a COVID-19 vaccination appointment for those who need help, 

o Arranging or providing accessible transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites, 

o Providing technical assistance to local health departments and other entities on vaccine 

accessibility, 

o Providing personal support if needed (e.g., peer support), and 

o Reminding the person of their second vaccination appointment if needed. 

The following frequently asked questions are provided to assist State Units on Aging and Area 

Agencies on Aging understand the parameters related to the funding awarded for “Expanding 

Access to COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging Network.” 

Program Questions

1. How was the $50 million distributed to the SUA’s? 

o It was distributed via the usual Older Americans Act (OAA) Section 304 formula and 

states are required to use their approved Intrastate Funding Formula (IFF) as applies to 

Title III-B funding to distribute the funding to the AAAs. 
EXPANDING ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES VIA THE AGING NETWORK FAQS

2. Does the $50 million include any funding for tribal grantees? 

o No, all the funding was distributed to SUAs. However, SUAs and AAAs are encouraged 

in their targeting and subaward approaches to serve Native Americans residing in their 

service areas who need assistance.

3. Can the funding coming to the SUAs be utilized for state vaccine information lines? 

o CDC’s intent in providing this funding is that it would be provided to local community 

organizations through the SUAs and AAAs to help increase vaccinations among older 

adults and their caregivers. Other funding, such as Families First, CARES, the 

Supplemental 5-HDC5 grant, and funding to be released from the American Rescue 

Plan Act (ARP), can be used for this purpose.

4. Can the funding be used for combatting vaccine hesitancy? 

o Yes, one of the purposes of the funding is for disseminating credible information about 

COVID-19 vaccines and helping direct those with questions to additional sources of 

information. 

5. Can the funding be used to support vaccine equity efforts?

o Yes, the aging network is encouraged to use these funds to address inequity in COVID19 vaccination access among older adults, family caregivers, and aging network staff 

and volunteers from communities defined by race, ethnicity, geography, disability, 

income, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other factors. 

6. Can the funding be used to provide transportation stipends/vouchers to individuals?

o Yes, arranging or providing accessible transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites for 

older adults and their caregivers is an allowable use of funds.

7. Can the funding be used to pay for staff to plan and organize these activities, participate in 

meetings with local public health and other entities, and/or collect and analyze data on 

COVID-19 vaccination rates of older adults, family caregivers, and aging network staff and 

volunteers? 

o Yes, paying for staff for these activities is an allowable use of funds.

8. Can the funding be used to serve people of any age?

o This funding is intended to be used to serve older adults, family caregivers, and aging 

network staff and volunteers. Funding should be targeted to serve these populations. 
EXPANDING ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES VIA THE AGING NETWORK FAQS

Reporting Requirements

1. What data/outcome measures will states need to provide/collect and report to ACL? 

o There are no new specific data elements that need to be collected. However, in 

states’ annual program reporting via the State Program Report we expect additional 

information in the Section IV.A Narrative portion of the SPR Report related to how the 

funding was generally utilized. Additional questions and answers related to program 

reporting can be found at: FAQS - PROGRAM REPORTING GUIDANCE – COVID 

RESPONSE.

Fiscal Policy Questions

1. How long do states have to spend the funding?

o The project period for the grant awards is April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022. 

2. How should SUAs and AAAs prioritize spending of funding from the various sources such as 

Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging Network, CARES, FY21 appropriations, 

etc.? 

o ACL does not have a requirement on which funding stream a state should spend first. 

However, the “Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging Network” 

funding is intended to address the urgent need to assist with vaccine administration. 

ACL will produce and disseminate an objective chart with timeframes of funding to 

identify the order in which ACL-administered funds will be expiring and to serve as a 

reference tool in an ARP Fiscal FAQ document to be developed soon. 

3. Can states hold back funding from the AAAs to disburse over the course of the project period? 

o This is a limited amount of funding to address the urgent need to increase vaccinations 

among older adults. Rather than create a new infrastructure to address this urgent 

need, CDC chose to provide funding to the aging services network which was already 

providing some assistance with demonstrated capacity to reach a targeted group of 

older individuals. To fully address this urgent need, it is important to allocate and 

disburse funding rapidly. 

4. For the $50 million in funds for SUAs, will there be any state match required?

o No, there is no Service or Administration match required for the “Expanding Access to 

COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging Network” grant.

5. Is State and Area Plan Administration an allowable expense?

o State Plan and Area Plan administration expenditures are allowable with the 

“Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging Network” grant. To determine 

allowable amounts for State Plan and Area Plan administration, calculate the 
EXPANDING ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES VIA THE AGING NETWORK FAQS

cumulative total between the FFY 2021 Title III grants, the Supplemental 5-HDC5 grant, 

and the “Expanding Access to COVID 19 Vaccines via the Aging Network” grant.

o Please note the following allowable amounts:

i. State Plan: 5% or $750,000 (OAA as amended in 2020) 

1. Calculated as:

a. 5% of the cumulative total of all of the regular Title III grants (i.e. 

2101XXOASS/CM/HD/PH/FC) plus the Supplemental 5-HDC5 grant 

(i.e.2101XXHDC5) plus the “Expanding Access to COVID-19 

Vaccines via the Aging Network” grant (i.e. 2101XXVAC5)

OR

b. $750,000 for States or $100,000 for Guam, American Samoa, Virgin 

Islands, Northern Mariana Islands

ii. Area Plan Administration: 10%

1. Calculated as:

a. 10% of the cumulative total of all of the regular Title III grants (i.e. 

2101XXOASS/CM/HD/PH/FC) plus the Supplemental 5-HDC5 grant 

(i.e.2101XXHDC5) plus the “Expanding Access to COVID-19 

Vaccines via the Aging Network” grant (i.e. 2101XXVAC5)

6. Are SUAs able to make transfers?

o No, transfers are not available. Funds must be expended on allowed activities as noted 

in the terms and conditions of the NOA and the purposes of funding bullets noted 

above.

7. Will this grant have its own SF-425 (FFR) and SF-425 supplemental forms?

o The grant requires semi-annual SF-425 financial reports. However, the ACL/AOA Title III 

Supplemental Form to the SF-425 report is not required. 

8. Must funds be accounted for separately from other COVID supplemental funding?

o Yes, funds are issued under a separate grant award number; therefore, funds must be 

accounted for separately from the regular issuance of Title III OAA and other COVID 

supplemental grants. States are required to continue maintaining appropriate records 

and documentation to support the charges against the Federal awards. 

 
EXPANDING ACCESS TO COVID-19 VACCINES VIA THE AGING NETWORK FAQS

9. How should the grant be distributed? 

o Funds must be distributed based on the State’s approved Title III Part B Intrastate 

Funding Formula (IFF). Funds are required to be distributed via the IFF and may not be 

held at the State level unless the state is a single PSA. 

10. As it relates to the Intrastate Funding Formula, should the administration allocation follow 

distribution after the base since the base was exhausted in the initial Title III allocation?

o States should follow their approved Intrastate Funding Formula.

o The “Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging Network” grant is in 

addition to FFY2021 Title III OAA funding and the Supplemental 5-HDC5 grant where the 

base for distributions may have already been allocated.

11. Are the flexibilities under the Major Disaster Declaration (MDD) of the OAA applicable to this 

grant?

o No, there is no flexibility available for “bucketing” funding for disaster relief.

12. Are the flexibilities under Expediting Expenditures at the State Level in Responding to the 

COVID-19 Emergency allowed?

o No, funds were allocated to address the urgent need to reach a targeted group of 

older individuals at the local level to assist in COVID-19 vaccinations through the 

purposes of funding noted above.

13. Does section 307(a)(2)(C) of the OAA, that requires States to specify a minimum proportion of 

funds to be spent by each area agency and that each area agency has provided 

assurances, according to section 306(a)(2), that an adequate proportion will be expended on 

access, in-home, and legal services, apply?

o No, the minimum proportion of funds expended in Section 307(a)(2)(C) of the OAA 

does not apply to the “Expanding Access to COVID-19 Vaccines via the Aging 

Network” grant.

For more information, please see FAQs about COVID Vaccination prepared by ACL for the Aging 

Network.