Biden administration announces new $93 million equity plan for 'minority-serving institutions'
The Biden administration announced a grant to fund historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), and minority-serving institutions.
This funding will strive to 'close equity gaps' between minority colleges and other institutions of higher education, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said.
On Dec. 8, the Biden administration announced a $93 million grant through the Department of Education to fund historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs), and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), claiming they are “underserved.”
This financial support expands on the already existing $25 billion that the administration has allocated to HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs since Biden entered office in 2021.
[RELATED: University to provide ‘racial justice’ grants of up to $300,000]
“The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the urgency of this moment in higher education and that creating opportunities for students of color and other underserved students to succeed in today’s most cutting-edge fields has never mattered more,” Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said.
This funding will strive to “close equity gaps” between minority colleges and other institutions of higher education, Cardona noted.
The $93 million funding will expand to the University of California, Berkeley, meeting the criteria for an “Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution” based on its student demographics.
UC Berkeley will receive $3 million in grants as part of the program, although its overall endowment sits at over $7 billion.
The programs supporting these grants are the Research and Development Infrastructure (RDI) program and the Postsecondary Student Success Grant (PSSG) program, which “aims to equitably improve postsecondary student outcomes, including retention, transfer, credit accumulation, and completion.”
[RELATED: University receives $625K grant for DEI]
“Because of their central role in educating underserved students, including students of color, it is important for HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs to excel in research activity that can impact funding, faculty and student recruitment, student research opportunities, and promote diversity in graduate students and faculty at an institution,” the Education Department’s statement reads.
In July, California State University issued $10 million over three years to address declining graduation rates among black students. The plan involved developing “welcoming affirming spaces” for black students and creating a “Central Office for the advancement of Black Excellence.”
Campus Reform has contacted the Department of Education, UC Berkeley, and Miguel Cardona for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
