Historically Black colleges and universities would receive the same amount of federal funding in 1997 that they received this year under legislation proposed by Republicans in the House of Representatives.

The funding freeze would leave the HBCU program at $108.9 million, where it has remained since fiscal year 1995. Support for HBCU, graduate institutions also would remain unchanged at $19.6 million.

The provisions are part of a 1997 education funding bill that, overall, takes a less confrontational tone than GOP plans last year, which prompted presidential vetoes and two partial shutdowns of the government. The new tone is most evident in elementary and secondary programs, which were slated for large cuts last year. This year's higher education budget contains many of the same funding freezes originally proposed in 1995.

One higher education program that would get an increase under the new plan is TRIO services to recruit disadvantaged youth for college. House Republicans would provide $500 million, an increase of $37 million from current funding. The White House requested the same increase for TRIO in its 1997 budget plan presented earlier this year. The administration also proposed a freeze in funding for HBCUs.

Federal support for Hispanic-serving institutions would remain unchanged in the Republican hill at $10.8 million next year.

The bill did not contain the idea favored by some Republicans to transfer funds from Howard University to HBCUs and deficit reduction. The House bill would earmark $187 million for Howard, up $5 million from last year but $9 million below the president's request for the university. Total funding for student financial aid would drop slightly under the bill, with most cuts coming through elimination of new capital for Perkins Loans and termination of the $31 million State Student Incentive Grant program. By comparison, funding for Pell Grants would increase by $400 million, enough to provide a $30 increase in the maximum grant, from $2,470 to $2,500.