Federal Funding for Minority-Serving Colleges Increases Under Final Budget Agreement
By Charles Dervarics

Federal funding for minority-serving colleges, including historically Black colleges and universities, will increase significantly under the final 2001 budget agreement between the White House and Congress.
Nearly three months into the new fiscal year, the two sides finally came together on an agreement just before the Christmas holiday. Federal programs had operated with temporary funds since Oct. 1 because of partisan bickering. In the end, the Clinton administration did not get all of what it sought for education but did receive substantial increases in many areas.
HBCUs had their budget increased by 25 percent under the new agreement. As a result, the Higher Education Act Title-B program for undergraduate institutions will increase from $148 million in 2000 to $185 million.
HBCU graduate institutions will also see an increase in funding — more than 40 percent — next year. These colleges and universities will get $45 million, a $14 million increase from 2000.
Hispanic-serving institutions will get more federal funds in 2001 compared to the previous year. HSIs will get $68.5 million, up from $42 million in 2000. This figure represents a 62 percent increase.
Elsewhere, Congress and the White House agreed to give tribal colleges a significant increase, from $6 million to $15 million in 2001. Most of these tribal institutions are two-year colleges.
The budget also earmarks a small increase in federal funding for Howard University in Washington. Howard will receive $232 million in fiscal 2001, an increase of $13 million above last year's funding.