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.
“When we received the federal COVID funds, it allowed for students to be able to take summer school courses and not have to worry about the tuition of those classes,” said Dr. Dwayne L. Tutt, assistant vice provost of student success at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, an HBCU. “They take the summer school classes, they stay on track, they get ahead, they graduate sooner, which means they have less student debt. … With that in mind, can we allow that to be an allowable activity going forward? It worked for the students from the standpoint of debt, but it also works from the societal standpoint of the economy, getting them into the workforce quicker.”
A significant theme in the report focuses on the growing number of institutions that meet multiple MSI designations, but Title III and V funding doesn’t account for diversity within an MSI institution. The report also notes that there is room to improve allowable activities based on student needs. Title III and V do not cover all Title III/V project costs.
Elliott noted that those interviewed focused on not simply changing the amount of support that institutions receive, but the ways that those institutions are supported. Dr. Andrea Fabrizio, dean of academic affairs and principal investigator for the Title V project at Hostos Community College, an HSI in New York City, said she would like to see flexibility.
“Title V allows us to meet academic needs in really wonderful ways with tutoring and professional development for faculty, but our students have a lot of other needs and we’re seeing that more and more,” said Fabrizio. “There are needs with food, housing, mental health support and counseling. … The supports they need to stay in school, to do well in school isn’t just about the academic piece. It’s about all the other pieces that impact their lives and often make it difficult for them to put their attention fully on their academic path.”
This report is intended to inform policymakers and legislators about legislative and administrative changes needed to prioritize the success of institutions that serve underserved students.
Dr. Dwayne L. Tut
“In terms of this type of funding and the mission of the HBCUs historically…has been about the labor force, to prepare a group of people that are equipped to do various jobs that would require some education,” said Tutt. “Therefore, improvement of the labor force is what we have to think about in the future. If an institution is fulfilling that mission for society of producing graduates that are contributing to the economy at higher levels, why not reward them because they’re doing that.”
EdTrust developed recommendations on ways that Congress and ED could update Titles III and V and positively impact MSIs. Among the policy recommendations include increasing annual Title III and V program funding and differentiating considerations for HBCU and TCCU funding from enrollment-based MSI programs. The report suggested that ED should provide guidance to competitive Title III/V applicants on how best to include allowable activities that are not explicitly outlined in HEA Titles III and V. The reported recommended that ED provide specialized technical assistance to competitive Title III and V funding recipients to better leverage Title III/V funding for students of color. Finally, the report noted that ED, White House Initiatives and all federal agencies with MSI funding opportunities should be more proactive in making sure that institutions know about and are able to apply for additional federal MSI funding in addition to HEA Titles III and V.
“It’s important not to say these institutions need to be supported simply because they enroll more students of color, but because they’re actually supporting and serving more students of color,” Elliott said. “That means centering their wellness, centering their development, centering their academic support and making sure that they are benefiting from the institutional designation.”
