Overview of Programs Supporting Minority-Serving Institutions under the Higher Education Act
August 27, 2018
Overview of Programs Supporting Minority-Serving Institutions
under the Higher Education Act
What are Minority Serving Institutions?
provided by smaller programs or programs outside of the
Minority-serving institutions (MSIs) are institutions of
HEA is not discussed here.
higher education (IHEs) that serve high concentrations of
Strengthening Institutions Program
minority students. MSIs tend to have relatively low
SIP provides competitive grants to improve the academic
educational and general expenditures and enroll high
quality and institutional management and increase the self-
proportions of financially needy students. Many MSIs have
sufficiency of institutions with low expenditures and a high
faced challenges in obtaining financial support, affecting
percentage of needy students. In general, an institution
their ability to enhance their academic offerings and
meets SIP eligibility criteria if it has low educational and
institutional capabilities, which may ultimately affect how
general expenditures; has a requisite enrollment of needy
they serve their students.
students; is legally authorized within its respective state to
Background on Federal Support for MSIs award bachelor’s degrees, is a junior or community college,
under the Higher Education Act
or is specified in HEA Section 312(b); is accredited or pre-
accredited by a Department of Education (ED)-recognized
When originally enacted, the Higher Education Act of 1965
national or state accrediting agency; and is located within
(HEA; P.L. 89-329) authorized the Strengthening
one of the 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia,
Developing Institutions program, currently known as the
or the outlying areas. The eligibility requirements for the
Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP), to strengthen and
SIP program are also the basic criteria for several of the
support postsecondary institutions that were struggling to
other MSI programs.
survive because of financial limitations. The original
program was not directed at MSIs, and Congress
Strengthening American Indian Tribally Controlled
subsequently found that the program did not sufficiently
Colleges and Universities Program
meet the needs of institutions serving a large number of
The Strengthening American Indian Tribally Controlled
minority students. Under the Higher Education
Colleges and Universities (TCCU) program provides grants
Amendments of 1986 (P.L. 99-498), Congress amended the
with allowable uses similar to SIP grants to TCCUs, but the
program to make institutions that served high
grants are largely allocated through a formula rather than a
concentrations of minority and low-income students eligible
competitive process. The purpose of the program is to assist
to participate in the program. Under later amendments to
TCCUs in improving and expanding their capacity to serve
the HEA, Congress established several additional programs
American Indian students. To qualify for a TCCU grant, an
that specifically target institutions that serve specific types
institution must meet the general SIP criteria and must also
of minority students.
qualify for funding under the Tribally Controlled Colleges
and University Assistance Act of 1978 or the Navajo
Current MSI Programs under the HEA
Community College Act, or be cited in Section 532 of the
The overarching approach in the HEA to providing funding
Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994.
to support MSIs is through strengthening grant programs
Strengthening Alaska Native and Hawaiian-Serving
administered by the Department of Education that are
Institutions Program
similar to the original SIP. Generally, the purpose of the
The Strengthening Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-
programs is to assist institutions in strengthening their
Serving Institutions (ANNHs) program provides grants with
academic, administrative, and fiscal capabilities. Under
allowable uses similar to SIP grants to ANNHs. The
current law, these programs are available for institutions
program is intended to enable ANNHs to improve and
that serve high concentrations of Native American, Alaska
expand their ability to serve Alaska Natives or Native
Native, Native Hawaiian, Black American, Asian American
Hawaiians. To qualify for an ANNH grant, an institution
and Native American Pacific Islander, and Hispanic
must meet the SIP eligibility criteria and must also have an
students. Each of the programs relies on a fairly similar set
undergraduate enrollment that is at least 20% Alaska Native
of eligibility criteria. Some examples of authorized uses of
students or at least 10% Native Hawaiian students.
grant funds, which can vary across programs, are to support
construction, maintenance, and improvement of
Strengthening Predominantly Black
instructional facilities, and the development and
Institutions Program
improvement of academic programs.
The Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs)
program provides grants with allowable uses similar to SIP
A description of the SIP program, which serves as the
grants to PBIs, but a portion of the grants are allocated
foundation on which many of the MSI programs are based,
through a formula rather than a competitive process. The
is provided below. It is followed by specific descriptions of
purpose of the program is to assist PBIs in expanding
each of the MSI programs that fit within the strengthening
educational opportunities. To qualify for a PBI grant,
institution framework. Other federal support for MSIs
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link to page 2 Overview of Programs Supporting Minority-Serving Institutions under the Higher Education Act
institutions must meet a set of criteria that are similar to, but
an institution must meet the SIP eligibility criteria and must
somewhat different from, the SIP eligibility requirements.
also have an enrollment of undergraduate full-time
Institutions must also have an undergraduate enrollment
equivalent students that is at least 25% Hispanic.
that is at least 40% Black American.
Promoting Post-baccalaureate Opportunities for
Strengthening Native American-Serving, Nontribal
Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) Program
Institutions Program
The Promoting Post-baccalaureate Opportunities for
The Strengthening Native American-Serving, Nontribal
Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) program provides
Institutions (NASNTIs) program provides grants with
competitive grants to enable HSIs to expand post-
allowable uses similar to SIP grants to NASNTIs. The
baccalaureate educational opportunities for Hispanic
purpose of the program is to enable NASNTIs to improve
students. To qualify for a PPOHA grant, an institution must
and expand their ability to serve Native American and low-
meet the criteria for the Developing Hispanic-Serving
income students. To qualify for a Strengthening NASNTIs
Institutions program and must offer a post-baccalaureate
program grant, IHEs must meet the SIP eligibility criteria
certificate or degree-granting program.
and must also have an undergraduate enrollment that is at
least 10% Native American students.
Funding for the MSI programs
Strengthening Asian American and Native
Funding for many of the MSI programs discussed in this In
American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions
Focus has been provided through annual discretionary
Program
appropriations. However, in recent years, mandatory
The Strengthening Asian American and Native American
appropriations have been provided to many of the programs
Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) program
in addition to the discretionary appropriations. Table 1
provides grants with allowable uses similar to SIP grants to
details mandatory and discretionary appropriations for each
ANNAPISIs. The purpose of the program is to enable
of the MSI programs discussed above.
ANNAPISIs to improve and expand their ability to serve
Asian Americans and Native American Pacific Islanders
Table 1. FY2018 Discretionary and Mandatory
and low-income individuals. To qualify for a Strengthening
Appropriations for Select MSI Programs
AANAPISI program grant, IHEs must meet SIP eligibility
(dollars in thousands)
criteria and must also have an undergraduate enrollment
that is at least 10% Asian American students or Native
Discretionary
Mandatory
American Pacific Islander students.
Program
Funding
Funding
Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and
SIP
$98,886
N/A
Universities Program
Strengthening TCCUs
$31,539
$28,020
The Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCU) program provides formula grants to
Strengthening ANNHs
$15,772
$14,010
eligible HBCUs for activities to strengthen academic,
administrative, and fiscal capabilities. Institutions that are
Strengthening PBIs
$11,361
$14,010
eligible for HBCU grants are known as Part-B institutions.
Strengthening NASNTIs
$3,826
$4,670
A Part-B institution is defined in HEA Section 322(2) as
any historically black college or university established
Strengthening ANNAPISIs
$3,826
$4,670
before 1964 whose primary mission was, and is, the
Strengthening HBCUs
$279,624
$79,390
education of Black Americans and that is accredited or pre-
accredited by an ED-recognized accrediting agency. The
Strengthening HBGIs
$72,314
N/A
Part B definition also includes an exception for institutions
Masters Degrees at
established after 1964 that meet certain criteria.
HBCUs
$8,571
N/A
Programs for Institutions that Enhance Graduate
Opportunities for Black Students
Masters Degrees at PBIs
$0
$0
The HEA authorizes three separate programs for
Developing HSIs
$123,183
N/A
institutions that enhance graduate opportunities for black
PPOHAs
$11,052
$0
students in certain areas of study: the Historically Black
Graduate Institutions (HBGI) program, Master’s Degree
Source: U.S. Department of Education, FY2018 Budget Tables,
programs at HBCUs, and Master’s Degree Programs at
https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget18/18action.pdf.
PBIs. The HEA specifically identifies the institutions that
are eligible to participate in each of these programs.
For more information, see CRS Report R43237, Programs
Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program
for Minority-Serving Institutions Under the Higher
Education Act.
The Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
program provides grants with allowable uses similar to SIP
grants to HSIs to expand educational opportunities for
Joselynn H. Fountain, Analyst in Education Policy
Hispanic students and to enhance academic offerings and
IF10959
institutional stability at HSIs. To qualify for an HSI grant,
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Overview of Programs Supporting Minority-Serving Institutions under the Higher Education Act
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