HBCU, HSI Funds Clear Congress
Amid tough negotiations on multi-billion-dollar education
proposals, Congress in October found enough room in its mammoth 1999
budget bill to provide more funding for historically Black colleges and
universities as well as Hispanic-serving institutions.
Total funding for institutional development increased Federal
funding for developing institutions under the Higher Education Act —
an increase of 22 percent, to $258 million — in the final White
House/Congress spending bill for fiscal year 1999. Programs serving
American Indians, Native Alaskans and Hawaiians, and community colleges
also shared in this increase.
The budget bill earmarked $134 million for the Title III HBCU
program, the same as the Clinton administration’s request, and a $16
million increase from last year. The House and Senate gave ground on
this issue, since both chambers had recommended smaller HBCU increases
in their individual education spending bills (see chart below).
HBCU graduate institutions received $30 million, $5 million more
than the 1998 figure. Taken together, the undergraduate and graduate
HBCU increases amounted to a 15 percent gain for 1999.
HSIs will receive twice as much in federal funds in 1999 than they
did previously, even though they started with a much lower funding
level than HBCUs. HSIs will receive $28 million next year, up from only
$12 million in 1998. This figure also represents a victory for the
administration, since the House and Senate had proposed $16 million and
$17 million, respectively.
The recently completed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act will give HSIs funding under Title V of the HEA.
