The U.S. Department of Education announced an additional $3.2 billion in funding for historic and under-resourced institutions under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF).
The funding will go to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), minorities serving institutions (MSIs) and other underserved institutions, like some community colleges. The funding will support over 1,800 institutions, helping students recover from the effects of the pandemic.
HBCUs will receive $1.6 billion; MSIs and other under-resourced institutions will receive $1.19 billion; TCUs will receive $143 million. The money will come from the American Rescue Plan, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA), making the total amount of funding available to these post-secondary institutions more than $76 billion.
“These institutions have a long history of serving our students—particularly students of color, first-generation college students, and other students who are underrepresented in higher education—and the Department stands ready to support them so they can expand their vital services,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona.