In the higher education system of the United States, minority-serving institution (MSI) is a descriptive term for universities and colleges that enroll a significant percentage of students from minority groups.

Definition

The term MSI is not defined by US federal statute, and accordingly federal agencies do not maintain a listing of MSIs. Most definitions of MSI are based on historical origin and also based on enrollment criteria (typically the percentage of enrolled minorities at a particular school).[1] For example, a report from the U.S. Department of Education on the characteristics of MSIs[2] defined MSI based on either of two separate criteria; 1) legislation (e.g. HBCU, TCU, HSI, PBI, etc)[3][4] or 2) percentage of minority undergraduate enrollment based on IPEDS data[5] (i.e. "institutions that enroll at least 25 percent of a specific minority group are designated as “minority-serving” for that group").

Disambiguation

The similar term “minority institutions” (MIs) is defined by § 365(3) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1067k(3)).[3] This legal definition of “minority institutions” applies only to the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP) and other programs whose statutes or regulations reference the same MI definition. A list of minority institutions compiled for the purposes of the MSEIP is published by the US Department of Education.[6]

Background

Many MSIs, such as Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), began in response to a history of inequality and a lack of access for people of color to majority institutions. MSIs overall now occupy a unique place in the nation, serving primarily, but not exclusively, low-income students, first generation students, and students of color. These institutions have highly diverse faculties and staffs, enhance student learning and promote leadership skills, and provide programs of study address deficiencies that originated at the primary and secondary level. MSIs play an important role in the nation’s economy by preparing a diverse workforce and prepare underrepresented students for graduate and professional school.[7]

Until 2007, no federal legislation existed concerning institutions serving Asian American and Pacific Islanders. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 made history, because it granted federal recognition to these institutions, making them eligible to be designated as minority serving institutions.[8]

MSIs serve a large number of financially-challenged students: 98 percent of African Americans and Native Americans who enroll at HBCUs or TCUs receive or qualify for federal financial aid, and over 50% of all students enrolled at MSIs receive Pell Grant support. As a point of comparison, only 31 percent of all college students receive Pell Grant support. Moreover, nearly half of MSI students are first generation college students. In comparison, only 35 percent of students attending Predominantly White Institutions.[9]

Federal funding

MSIs are eligible for federal and private funding based on specific eligibility requirements, as determined by the funding agency.[10][11][12][13]

Federal funding is provided directly to some MSIs under Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965:[3][14]

  1. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) – institutions founded prior to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that were created primarily to educate African Americans (e.g., Alabama State University, Morgan State University, and Texas Southern University)[15]
  2. Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI) – institutions that do not meet the legal definition of HBCUs, but primarily serve African Americans. Eligibility is based on serving an undergraduate population that is both low income (at least 50% receiving Title IV needs-based assistance) and in which African American students constitute at least 40% [16] (e.g., Georgia State University, Trinity Washington University, Community College of Philadelphia).[17]
  3. Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) – institutions that serve an undergraduate population that is both low income (at least 50% receiving Title IV needs-based assistance) and in which Hispanic students constitute at least 25%[18] (e.g., University of Texas at El Paso, Fresno Pacific University, and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley).[19]
  4. Tribal Colleges or Universities (TCU) – institutions of higher education which are formally controlled, or have been formally sanctioned, or chartered, by the governing body of a Native American tribe[20] (e.g., Diné College).[21][22][23]
  5. Native American Non-Tribal Institutions (NANTI) – institutions other than TCUs that serve an undergraduate population that is both low income (at least 50% receiving Title IV needs-based assistance) and in which American Indian students constitute at least 10%[24] (e.g., Southeastern Oklahoma State University).[25]
  6. Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNH or ANNHSI) – institutions that serve an undergraduate population that is both low income (at least 50% receiving Title IV needs-based assistance) and in which Alaska Native students constitute at least 20% or Hawaiian Native students constitute at least 10%[26] (e.g., University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Hawaii at Manoa).
  7. Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) – institutions that serve an undergraduate population that is both low income (at least 50% receiving Title IV needs-based assistance) and in which Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander students constitute at least 10%[27] (e.g., California State University, Los Angeles, NJIT and University of Guam).[28][29][30]

Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) institutions serve a low income undergraduate population (at least 50% receiving Title IV needs-based assistance)[31] and are eligible for federal funding under Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965. However, as there are no requirements for minority enrollment under Title III Part A, in some cases these institutions may or may not be considered MSIs.

Executive Orders

Specific Executive Orders currently referencing MSIs include:

References

  1. ^ Conrad, C. & Gasman, M. (2015). Educating a Diverse Nation: Lessons from Minority Serving Institutions. Harvard University Press
  2. ^ "Characteristics of Minority-Serving Institutions and Minority Undergraduates Enrolled in These Institutions" (PDF). U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. November 2007. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  3. ^ a b c "U.S.C. Title 20 - Education". www.govinfo.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  4. ^ "20 U.S. Code Subchapter III - Institutiona Aid". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  5. ^ "The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  6. ^ "ED: Lists of Postsecondary Minority Institutions". www2.ed.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  7. ^ Marybeth Gasman & Thai-Huy Nguyen, Making Black Scientists: A Call to Action. (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2019).
  8. ^ Chen, Edith Wen-Chu (2010). Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Today. Vol. 1. ABC-CLIO. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-313-34751-1.
  9. ^ William Casey Boland, Marybeth Gasman, Andrés Castro Samayoa, and DeShaun Bennett, “The Effect of Enrolling in Minority Serving Institutions on Earnings Compared to Non-Minority Serving Institutions: A College Scorecard Analysis,” Research in Higher Education (2019)
  10. ^ "Department of Navy's Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Program". Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  11. ^ "Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Partnerships with Community-Based Organizations (CBO)". www.samhsa.gov. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  12. ^ "Title III Part B, Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program". www2.ed.gov. 2020-07-07. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  13. ^ "Computer and Information Science and Engineering Minority-Serving Institutions Research Expansion Program". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
  14. ^ Gasman, Marybeth; Benjamin Baez; Caroline Sotello Viernes Turner (2008). Understanding minority-serving institutions. SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-7359-7.
  15. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1061
  16. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1059e
  17. ^ Jones, Brandy. "Predominantly Black Institutions: Pathways to Black Student Educational Attainment" (PDF). Center for Minority Serving Institutions.
  18. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1101a
  19. ^ Garcia, G. A. (2019). Becoming Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Opportunities for Colleges and Universities. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
  20. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1059c
  21. ^ Warner, L. S. & Gipp, G. (2009). Tradition and culture in the millennium: Tribal colleges and universities. Information Age Publishers.
  22. ^ Ginger Stull, Demetrios Spyridakis, Marybeth Gasman, Andrés Castro Samayoa, & Yvette Booker, Redefining Success: How Tribal Colleges and Universities Build Nations, Strengthen Sovereignty, and Persevere through Challenges. Philadelphia, PA: Penn Center for Minority Serving Institutions, 2015.
  23. ^ Todd Lundberg, Marybeth Gasman, Clif Conrad, Thai-Huy Nguyen, & Felecia Commodore, “Redefining the Matriculation of Underprepared Students: The Case of Developmental Math Education at Chief Dull Knife College,” Review of Higher Education (2018).
  24. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1067q
  25. ^ https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/MSI_AIANrprt_R3.pdf[bare URL PDF]
  26. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1059d
  27. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1059g
  28. ^ Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions https://cmsi.gse.rutgers.edu
  29. ^ Dolly Nguyen, Mike Nguyen, Thai-Huy Nguyen, Marybeth Gasman, and Clif Conrad, “From Marginalized to Validated: An In-depth Case Study of an Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander Serving Institution,” Review of Higher Education, 41(3), (2018), 327-363.
  30. ^ Maramba, D. & Fong, T. (2020). (Eds.). Transformative practices for minority student success: Accomplishments of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. Stylus Press.
  31. ^ 20 U.S.C. § 1058
  32. ^ 82 FR 12499
  33. ^ 66 FR 52841
  34. ^ 67 FR 45288
  35. ^ 69 FR 25293
  36. ^ 74 FR 53635

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