HBCU, HSI Funds Clear Congress
Amid tough negotiations on multi-billion-dollar education proposals, Congress in October found enough room in its mammoth 1999 budget bill to provide more funding for historically Black colleges and universities as well as Hispanic-serving institutions.
Total funding for institutional development increased Federal funding for developing institutions under the Higher Education Act -- an increase of 22 percent, to $258 million -- in the final White House/Congress spending bill for fiscal year 1999. Programs serving American Indians, Native Alaskans and Hawaiians, and community colleges also shared in this increase.
The budget bill earmarked $134 million for the Title III HBCU program, the same as the Clinton administration's request, and a $16 million increase from last year. The House and Senate gave ground on this issue, since both chambers had recommended smaller HBCU increases in their individual education spending bills (see chart below).
HBCU graduate institutions received $30 million, $5 million more than the 1998 figure. Taken together, the undergraduate and graduate HBCU increases amounted to a 15 percent gain for 1999.
HSIs will receive twice as much in federal funds in 1999 than they did previously, even though they started with a much lower funding level than HBCUs. HSIs will receive $28 million next year, up from only $12 million in 1998. This figure also represents a victory for the administration, since the House and Senate had proposed $16 million and $17 million, respectively.
The recently completed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act will give HSIs funding under Title V of the HEA.
Tribal colleges will receive an initial allotment under the new HEA bill of $3 million next year. The recently passed bill, signed into law in early October, created a new funding stream for these institutions.
HEA also authorized separate funding for colleges with significant numbers of Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian students. These institutions also will receive $3 million in 1999 under the final budget bill.
