Feds Fund Three Types of Minority-serving Institutions: Under new education department programs, money for eligible colleges and universities is up for grabs.
Colleges that do not qualify as historically Black colleges or tribal colleges but that still serve a significant number of African-Americans or American Indians have until late June to make their case for a share of $20 million in new federal funds for such institutions.
Funds are available under two new U.S. Department of Education programs approved by Congress: $15 million in grants for predominantly Black institutions (PBIs) and $5 million for non-tribal colleges, mostly in the western United States, that serve American Indian students.
To qualify as a non-tribal, Native American- serving institution, a college need only have an undergraduate enrollment that is 10 percent American Indian, the regulations state. The criteria for a predominantly Black institution are more detailed, although a core requirement is that the college or university have “at least 40 percent Black American students,” the Department of Education says.
