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Charlotte NC

Rep. Adams Introduces Bill to Increase Federal Funds for Minority-Serving Institutions

September 25, 2018

Washington, D.C.— Washington, D.C.—Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Co-chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, introduced legislation to reauthorize and bolster important Title III line-items for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). The Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions Act would increase mandatory funding levels from a combined $255 million to $300 million for MSIs and extend the appropriation indefinitely. The PROSPER Act, the Republican reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, would have eliminated this funding, leaving many MSIs on a precarious funding cliff. This legislative language was also included in the Aim Higher Act (H.R. 6543), the Democratic reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

This bill was introduced with 32 original cosponsors, including House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03).

"According to the American Council on Education, minority-serving institutions enroll over 4.8 million students across the country. These institutions are engines of economic opportunity for diverse students and the communities they serve," said Congresswoman Adams. "The Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions Act permanently reauthorizes funding that allows these institutions to make investments that improve their academic programs, professionally develop their faculty, repair their educational facilities, and place them on a long-term path of fiscal stability. I applaud Ranking Member Scott for including this language in the Aim Higher Act, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this effort to assist institutions that are vital to our higher education system and economy."

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