Advancing greater understanding of Minority-Serving Institutions
and their unique contributions to postsecondary education
What are Minority Serving Institutions?
Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) are postsecondary colleges and universities that enroll some of the most racially and ethnically diverse students across the United States, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands.
Today, MSIs are overwhelmingly celebrated and 11 different MSI designations have been established to provide federal funding and resources to support student educational advancement.
MSIs are unique in their ability to support the educational advancement of students of color and often provide a wide array of academic offerings, co curricular programming, and research opportunities, among others, in order to ultimately serve and enhance student outcomes.Recognizing their importance to the postsecondary landscape, MSI designations were established by Congress in order to provide financial support to these colleges and universities. However, it should be noted that formal and informal education and schooling has existed for Black, Indigenous, and people of color far before any formal federal recognition of MSIs. And the history of American higher education, the schooling of Black, Indigenous, and students of color, as well as the early formation of MSIs, maintain roots with vast contradictions and racism.
Classifying & Defining MSIs
Each MSI designation has a unique history and rationale behind its creation. In recognition of
the complexity and vast differences for each type
of MSI, the MSI Data Project has developed a
typology to classify and define MSIs in a more systematic and accurate manner, which benefits
researchers, advocates, and policymakers by
yielding greater precision in data and data analysis.
MISSION BASED MSIs
Institutions that were established with the explicit mission to serve their respective student populations. Thus, only HBCUs, HBGI, HBCU Masters, and TCCUs are classified as mission-based MSIs. And with a few exceptions, Congress appropriates funding for all mission-based MSIs receive federal funding based on their status as an MSI.
ENROLLMENT BASED MSIs
Colleges and universities that have met a specific undergraduate enrollment percentage for their specific student population, along with several other important criteria including a finance requirement focused on institutional expenditures and enrollment of low-income students and other classifications (e.g., Title IV, public or not-for profit, etc.). Thus, enrollment-based MSIs are historically white institutions that due to changing demographics and enrollment patterns have met federal requirements.
Additionally, institutions must apply for/verify with the US Department of Education that they meet their specific MSI federal requirements, and in doing so can be classified as an eligible MSI. Eligible MSIs can then apply for funding from a specific MSI designation. Thus, there is a major distinction between enrollment-based MSIs and their mission-based counterparts. Given that enrollment-based MSI are actually federal competitive grants, with a typical cycle of five years, these MSIs can slip in an out of funded status, as eligible MSIs must apply for and be awarded an MSI grant. Consequently, the MSI Data Project classifies enrollment-based MSIs into two categories, those that are eligible and those that are funded.
The MSI Data Project believes that this approach will bring greater clarity and precision, while reducing confusion and ambiguity, when discussing MSIs. For more information on our typology, we encourage you to read our article, which offers greater detail on our approach to classify and define MSIs.
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Explore the
MSI Designations
AANAPISI
Asian-American and Native-American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions
The Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) program was authorized by Congress in 2007 through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act with the purpose of providing competitive federal grants to expand the capacity of institutions to serve Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students.
TCCU
Tribally Controlled
Colleges and Universities
Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCU) are postsecondary institutions with the unique mission to serve Native American students. In order to qualify for federal funding from the TCCU program, colleges and universities must meet a unique set of requirements. This includes the Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities Assistance Act of 1978, where institutions must be formally controlled, or have been formally sanctioned or chartered, by a Native American Tribe and must have a majority of students who are Native American. Or institutions can meet the Navajo Community College Act, or be cited in Section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (EELGSA).
HBGI
Historically Black
Graduate Institutions
The purpose of the Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGI) program is to provide formula-based grants to enable HBCUs with graduate and professional programs to strengthentheir capacity to serve Black/African American students in graduate programs.
HSI STEM
The Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program was established by Congress with the purpose providing competitive federal grants in order to expand educational attainment of Latinx students in STEM fields and to develop transfer and articulation agreements between two-year HSIs and four-year institutions for Latinx students in STEM fields.
Hispanic Serving Institutions
Science Technology Engineering & Math
Hispanic Serving Institutions
Science Technology Engineering & Math
HBCU
Historically Black Colleges
and Universities
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are institutions that were established with the purpose and mission to serve the educational needs of African and/or Black Americans, given racist laws and policies that forcibly denied their access to postsecondary educational institutions. Most HBCUs were established between 1867 and 1900, and today Congress appropriates funding that supports their mission to advance educational opportunity for African and/or Black American students.
ANNHSI
Alaska Native and Native
Hawaiian-Serving Institutions
The Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions (ANNHSI) program was first authorized by Congress in 1998, with the purpose of providing competitive federal grants to expand the capacity of institutions to serve Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students.
HBCU Masters
Historically Black Colleges
and University Masters
The HBCU Masters program was established by Congress in 2008 through the he Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110-315), with the purpose of providing federal funding to institutions to enhance their master’s level education for Black/African American students.
HSI: PPOHA
Promoting Post-baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans
The Promoting Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) program was established by Congress in 2008 through the Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 110-315),
with the purpose of providing federal grants to expand post-baccalaureate educational opportunities for Latinx students.
HSI
Hispanic Serving
Institutions
The Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) program was first established in 1992 by the Higher Education Amendments of 1992, with the purpose providing competitive federal grants in order to expand educational opportunity and attainment of Latinx students, and strengthen the capacity of institutions with a large proportion of Latinx students.
NASNTI
Native American-Serving
Nontribal Institutions
Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions was authorized by Congress in 2007 through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, with the purpose of providing competitive federal grants to expand the capacity of institutions to serve Native American students.
PBI
Predominantly Black
Institutions
The Predominantly Black Institutions program was established by Congress in 2007 through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, with the purpose of providing federal funding to expand
the capacity of institutions to serve Black/African American students.
