US invests nearly $100M in HBCUs, underserved students

The United States Department of Education has unveiled two groundbreaking grant programs aimed at bolstering research infrastructure and improving student outcomes in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions. 

The initiatives come as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity in higher education, according to a press release.

With a staggering investment of nearly $100 million, the grants are set to make transformative investments in research infrastructure and evidence-based strategies to enhance student success among underserved populations. 

The funding builds upon the $25 billion that has already been allocated to HBCUs, MSIs, and TCCUs by the Department since President Joe Biden took office. Specifically, this includes $7.3 billion for 98 HBCUs, $474.5 million for 35 TCCUs, and $18.1 billion to support MSIs.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona emphasized the significance of these grants at a time when diversity in higher education faces challenges. 

He asserted that investing in these institutions is crucial to drive research, innovation, and inclusive support that empower underserved students to complete their degrees and pursue successful futures. 

The Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to raising the standards for excellence and equity in higher education while supporting institutions that foster the potential of students from diverse backgrounds and income levels.

The Historically Black Colleges or Universities, Tribally Controlled Colleges or Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program will allocate $50 million to implement transformative research infrastructure investments. 

The investments will cover research productivity, faculty expertise, graduate programs, physical infrastructure, human capital development, and partnerships to attract external funding. For HBCUs and MSIs, this grant aims to elevate research activity levels to transition from the Doctoral and Professional Universities (D/PU) classification to the Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity (R2) classification or move from the Doctoral Universities with High Research Activity (R2) classification to the Doctoral Universities with Very High Research Activity (R1) classification.

For TCCUs, which have their own unique Carnegie Classification designation, the grant will fuel an increase in research activities, faculty development, undergraduate research opportunities, research development, and infrastructure, including physical and human capital development.

Aligned with the Department’s Raise the Bar Initiative, the Postsecondary Student Success Grant is now open for applications from institutions aiming to support underserved students. 

The PSSG grant seeks to enhance postsecondary student outcomes, encompassing retention, transfer, credit accumulation, and completion, by leveraging data and implementing evidence-based activities. It also aims to scale and rigorously evaluate these strategies, supporting data-driven decision-making by institutional leaders dedicated to inclusive student success.

As college access and completion remain challenges for students of color and those with low incomes, and as non-traditional students’ numbers in postsecondary education continue to rise, the $45-million PSSG grant program will fund evidence-based approaches that lead to improved outcomes for underserved students. 

The competition will assess applications in two tiers—early phase and mid-phase or expansion—based on the extent of existing research validating the effectiveness of proposed strategies.