There are seven MSI designations: Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), American Indian Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSIs), Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs), and Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions (NASNTIs). HBCUs and TCCUs are mission based. The other MSI designations relate to enrollment demographics.
A new report released by The Education Trust titled, “Improving Titles III & V of the Higher Education Act to Better Serve Students of Color and Students from Low-Income Backgrounds” examines how Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) receive funds related to Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act (HEA).
Today, one in five higher education institutions has MSI status.
“The Higher Education Act is well overdue for amendment,” said Dr. Kayla C. Elliott, director of workforce policy at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and one of the authors of the report. “The last time it was amended was in 2008. … The HEA and Titles III and V need to be updated to address the changing times and the changing nature of relationships between the government, institutions and students.”
Dr. Kayla C. Elliott
Researchers identified leaders at 22 MSI institutions representing five MSI designations to examine how Congress and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) could update Titles III and V to better serve students of color and low-income students. These included current and former Title III/V project directors, MSI program evaluators, presidents, vice presidents and directors of institutional advancement, who were asked to offer their concerns, experiences and suggestions.
“Because pandemic assistance like the American Rescue Plan and the Higher Ed Emergency Relief funds provided institutions a lot more flexibility, we decided to focus on how the institutions in this report have been able to use that additional flexibility and additional funding to address their long-standing needs,” said Elliott.
