Part B - Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities

20 USC 1060 - Findings and purposes

The Congress finds that

(1) the historically Black colleges and universities have contributed significantly to the effort to attain equal opportunity through postsecondary education for Black, low-income, and educationally disadvantaged Americans;

(2) States and the Federal Government have discriminated in the allocation of land and financial resources to support Black public institutions under the Morrill Act of 1862 [7 U.S.C. 301 et seq.] and its progeny, and against public and private Black colleges and universities in the award of Federal grants and contracts, and the distribution of Federal resources under this chapter and other Federal programs which benefit institutions of higher education;

(3) the current state of Black colleges and universities is partly attributable to the discriminatory action of the States and the Federal Government and this discriminatory action requires the remedy of enhancement of Black postsecondary institutions to ensure their continuation and participation in fulfilling the Federal mission of equality of educational opportunity; and

(4) financial assistance to establish or strengthen the physical plants, financial management, academic resources, and endowments of the historically Black colleges and universities are appropriate methods to enhance these institutions and facilitate a decrease in reliance on governmental financial support and to encourage reliance on endowments and private sources.

20 USC 1061 - Definitions

For the purpose of this part:

(1) The term graduate means an individual who has attended an institution for at least three semesters and fulfilled academic requirements for undergraduate studies in not more than 5 consecutive school years.

(2) The term part B institution means any historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation,,^[1] except that any branch campus of a southern institution of higher education that prior to September 30, 1986, received a grant as an institution with special needs under section 1060 of this title and was formally recognized by the National Center for Education Statistics as a Historically Black College or University but was determined not to be a part B institution on or after October 17, 1986, shall, from July 18, 1988, be considered a part B institution.

(3) The term Pell Grant recipient means a recipient of financial aid under subpart 1 of part A of subchapter IV of this chapter.

(4) The term professional and academic areas in which Blacks are underrepresented shall be determined by the Secretary and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on the basis of the most recent available satisfactory data, as professional and academic areas in which the percentage of Black Americans who have been educated, trained, and employed is less than the percentage of Blacks in the general population.

(5) The term school year means the period of 12 months beginning July 1 of any calendar year and ending June 30 of the following calendar year.

[1] So in original.

20 USC 1062 - Grants to institutions

(a) General authorization; uses of funds
From amounts available under section 1069f (a)(2)1 of this title in any fiscal year the Secretary shall make grants (under section 1063 of this title) to institutions which have applications approved by the Secretary (under section 1063a of this title) for any of the following uses:

(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes.

(2) Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services.

(3) Support of faculty exchanges, and faculty development and faculty fellowships to assist in attaining advanced degrees in their field of instruction.

(4) Academic instruction in disciplines in which Black Americans are underrepresented.

(5) Purchase of library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program materials.

(6) Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success.

(7) Funds and administrative management, and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management.

(8) Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries.

(9) Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or improve contributions from alumni and the private sector.

(10) Establishing or enhancing a program of teacher education designed to qualify students to teach in a public elementary or secondary school in the State that shall include, as part of such program, preparation for teacher certification.

(11) Establishing community outreach programs which will encourage elementary and secondary students to develop the academic skills and the interest to pursue postsecondary education.

(12) Other activities proposed in the application submitted pursuant to section 1063a of this title that

(A) contribute to carrying out the purposes of this part; and

(B) are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of such application.

(b) Endowment fund

(1) In general
An institution may use not more than 20 percent of the grant funds provided under this part to establish or increase an endowment fund at the institution.

(2) Matching requirement
In order to be eligible to use grant funds in accordance with paragraph (1), the eligible institution shall provide matching funds from non-Federal sources, in an amount equal to or greater than the Federal funds used in accordance with paragraph (1), for the establishment or increase of the endowment fund.

(3) Comparability
The provisions of part C of this subchapter regarding the establishment or increase of an endowment fund, that the Secretary determines are not inconsistent with this subsection, shall apply to funds used under paragraph (1).

(1) No grant may be made under this chapter for any educational program, activity, or service related to sectarian instruction or religious worship, or provided by a school or department of divinity. For the purpose of this subsection, the term school or department of divinity means an institution whose program is specifically for the education of students to prepare them to become ministers of religion or to enter upon some other religious vocation, or to prepare them to teach theological subjects.

(2) Not more than 50 percent of the allotment of any institution may be available for the purpose of constructing or maintaining a classroom, library, laboratory, or other instructional facility.

[1] See References in Text note below.

20 USC 1063 - Allotments to institutions

(a) Allotment; Pell Grant basis
From the amounts appropriated to carry out this part for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each part B institution a sum which bears the same ratio to one-half that amount as the number of Pell Grant recipients in attendance at such institution at the end of the school year preceding the beginning of that fiscal year bears to the total number of Pell Grant recipients at all part B institutions.

(b) Allotment; graduates basis
From the amounts appropriated to carry out this part for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each part B institution a sum which bears the same ratio to one-fourth that amount as the number of graduates for such school year at such institution bears to the total number of graduates for such school year at all part B institutions.

(c) Allotment; graduate and professional student basis
From the amounts appropriated to carry out this part for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each part B institution a sum which bears the same ratio to one-fourth of that amount as the percentage of graduates per institution, who are admitted to and in attendance at, within 5 years of graduation with a baccalaureate degree, a graduate or professional school in a degree program in disciplines in which Blacks are underrepresented, bears to the percentage of such graduates per institution for all part B institutions.

(d) Minimum allotment

(1) Notwithstanding subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, the amount allotted to each part B institution under this section shall not be less than $500,000.

(2) If the amount appropriated pursuant to section 1069f (a)(2)(A)1 of this title for any fiscal year is not sufficient to pay the minimum allotment required by paragraph (1) of this subsection to all part B institutions, the amount of such minimum allotments shall be ratably reduced. If additional sums become available for such fiscal year, such reduced allocation shall be increased on the same basis as they were reduced (until the amount allotted equals the minimum allotment required by paragraph (1)).

(e) Reallotment
The amount of any part B institutions allotment under subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d) of this section for any fiscal year which the Secretary determines will not be required for such institution for the period such allotment is available shall be available for reallotment from time to time on such date during such period as the Secretary may determine to other part B institutions in proportion to the original allotment to such other institutions under this section for such fiscal year.

(f) Special merger rule

(1) The Secretary shall permit any eligible institution for a grant under part B in any fiscal year prior to the fiscal year 1986 to apply for a grant under this part if the eligible institution has merged with another institution of higher education which is not so eligible or has merged with an eligible institution.

(2) The Secretary may establish such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the requirement of paragraph (1) of this subsection.

(g) Special rule for certain District of Columbia eligible institutions
In any fiscal year that the Secretary determines that Howard University or the University of the District of Columbia will receive an allotment under subsections (b) and (c) of this section which is not in excess of amounts received by Howard University under section 123 of this title, relating to annual authorization of appropriations for Howard University, or by the University of the District of Columbia under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (87 Stat. 774) for such fiscal year, then Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia, as the case may be, shall be ineligible to receive an allotment under this section.

[1] See References in Text note below.

20 USC 1063a - Applications

(a) Contents
No part B institution shall be entitled to its allotment of Federal funds for any grant under section 1063 of this title for any period unless that institution meets the requirements of subparagraphs (C), (D), and (E)^[1] of section 1058 (b)(1) of this title and submits an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing or accompanied by such information, as the Secretary may reasonably require. Each such application shall

(1) provide that the payments under this chapter will be used for the purposes set forth in section 1062 of this title; and

(2) provide for making an annual report to the Secretary and provide for

(A) conducting, except as provided in subparagraph (B), a financial and compliance audit of an eligible institution, with regard to any funds obtained by it under this subchapter at least once every 2 years and covering the period since the most recent audit, conducted by a qualified, independent organization or person in accordance with standards established by the Comptroller General for the audit of governmental organizations, programs, and functions, and as prescribed in regulations of the Secretary, the results of which shall be submitted to the Secretary; or

(B) with regard to an eligible institution which is audited under chapter 75 of title 31 deeming such audit to satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (A) for the period covered by such audit.

(b) Approval
The Secretary shall approve any application which meets the requirements of subsection (a) of this section and shall not disapprove any application submitted under this part, or any modification thereof, without first affording such institution reasonable notice and opportunity for a hearing.

(c) Goals for financial management and academic programs
Any application for a grant under this part shall describe measurable goals for the institutions financial management and academic programs and include a plan of how the applicant intends to achieve those goals.

[1] See References in Text note below.

20 USC 1063b - Professional or graduate institutions

(a) General authorization

(1) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary shall award program grants to each of the postgraduate institutions listed in subsection (e) of this section that is determined by the Secretary to be making a substantial contribution to the legal, medical, dental, veterinary, or other graduate education opportunities in mathematics, engineering, or the physical or natural sciences for Black Americans.

(2) No grant in excess of $1,000,000 may be made under this section unless the postgraduate institution provides assurances that 50 percent of the cost of the purposes for which the grant is made will be paid from non-Federal sources, except that no institution shall be required to match any portion of the first $1,000,000 of the institutions award from the Secretary. After funds are made available to each eligible institution under the funding rules described in subsection (f) of this section, the Secretary shall distribute, on a pro rata basis, any amounts which were not so made available (by reason of the failure of an institution to comply with the matching requirements of this paragraph) among the institutions that have complied with such matching requirement.

(b) Duration
Grants shall be made for a period not to exceed 5 years.

(1) purchase, rental or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes;

(2) construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services;

(3) purchase of library books, periodicals, technical and other scientific journals, microfilm, microfiche, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program materials;

(4) scholarships, fellowships, and other financial assistance for needy graduate and professional students to permit the enrollment of the students in and completion of the doctoral degree in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, law, and the doctorate degree in the physical or natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, or other scientific disciplines in which African Americans are underrepresented;

(5) establish or improve a development office to strengthen and increase contributions from alumni and the private sector;

(6) assist in the establishment or maintenance of an institutional endowment to facilitate financial independence pursuant to section 1065 of this title; and

(7) funds and administrative management, and the acquisition of equipment, including software, for use in strengthening funds management and management information systems.

(d) Application
Any institution eligible for a grant under this section shall submit an application which

(1) demonstrates how the grant funds will be used to improve graduate educational opportunities for Black and low-income students, and lead to greater financial independence; and

(2) provides, in the case of applications for grants in excess of $1,000,000, the assurances required by subsection (a)(2) of this section and specifies the manner in which the eligible institution is going to pay the non-Federal share of the cost of the application.

(e) Eligibility

(1) In general
Independent professional or graduate institutions and programs eligible for grants under subsection (a) of this section are the following^[1]

(A) Morehouse School of Medicine;

(B) Meharry Medical School;

(D) Clark-Atlanta University;

(E) Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine and other qualified graduate programs;

(F) Xavier University School of Pharmacy and other qualified graduate programs;

(G) Southern University School of Law and other qualified graduate programs;

(H) Texas Southern University School of Law and School of Pharmacy and other qualified graduate programs;

(I) Florida A&M University School of Pharmaceutical Sciences and other qualified graduate programs;

(J) North Carolina Central University School of Law and other qualified graduate programs;

(K) Morgan State University qualified graduate program;

(L) Hampton University qualified graduate program;

(M) Alabama A&M qualified graduate program;

(N) North Carolina A&T State University qualified graduate program;

(O) University of Maryland Eastern Shore qualified graduate program;

(P) Jackson State University qualified graduate program;

(Q) Norfolk State University qualified graduate programs; and

(R) Tennessee State University qualified graduate programs.

(2) Qualified graduate program

(A) For the purposes of this section, the term qualified graduate program means a graduate or professional program that provides a program of instruction in the physical or natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, or other scientific discipline in which African Americans are underrepresented and has students enrolled in such program at the time of application for a grant under this section.

(B) Notwithstanding the enrollment requirement contained in subparagraph (A), an institution may use an amount equal to not more than 10 percent of the institutions grant under this section for the development of a new qualified graduate program.

(3) Special rule
Institutions that were awarded grants under this section prior to October 1, 1998, shall continue to receive such grants, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, regardless of the eligibility of the institutions described in subparagraphs (Q) and (R) of paragraph (1).

(4) One grant per institution
The Secretary shall not award more than 1 grant under this section in any fiscal year to any institution of higher education or university system.

(5) Institutional choice
The president or chancellor of the institution may decide which graduate or professional school or qualified graduate program will receive funds under the grant in any 1 fiscal year, if the allocation of funds among the schools or programs is delineated in the application for funds submitted to the Secretary under this section.

(f) Funding rule
Subject to subsection (g) of this section, of the amount appropriated to carry out this section for any fiscal year

(1) the first $26,600,000 (or any lesser amount appropriated) shall be available only for the purposes of making grants to institutions or programs described in subparagraphs (A) through (P) of subsection (e)(1) of this section;

(2) any amount in excess of $26,600,000, but not in excess of $28,600,000, shall be available for the purpose of making grants to institutions or programs described in subparagraphs (Q) and (R) of subsection (e)(1) of this section; and

(3) any amount in excess of $28,600,000, shall be made available to each of the institutions or programs identified in subparagraphs (A) through (R)^[2] pursuant to a formula developed by the Secretary that uses the following elements:

(A) The ability of the institution to match Federal funds with non-Federal funds.

(B) The number of students enrolled in the programs for which the eligible institution received funding under this section in the previous year.

(C) The average cost of education per student, for all full-time graduate or professional students (or the equivalent) enrolled in the eligible professional or graduate school, or for doctoral students enrolled in the qualified graduate programs.

(D) The number of students in the previous year who received their first professional or doctoral degree from the programs for which the eligible institution received funding under this section in the previous year.

(E) The contribution, on a percent basis, of the programs for which the institution is eligible to receive funds under this section to the total number of African Americans receiving graduate or professional degrees in the professions or disciplines related to the programs for the previous year.

(g) Hold harmless rule
Notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (f) of this section, no institution or qualified program identified in subsection (e)(1) of this section that received a grant for fiscal year 1998 and that is eligible to receive a grant in a subsequent fiscal year shall receive a grant amount in any such subsequent fiscal year that is less than the grant amount received for fiscal year 1998, unless the amount appropriated is not sufficient to provide such grant amounts to all such institutions and programs, or the institution cannot provide sufficient matching funds to meet the requirements of this section.

[1] So in original. Probably should be followed by a colon.
[2] So in original. Probably should be “subparagraphs (A) to (R) of subsection (e)(1) of this section”.

20 USC 1063c - Reporting and audit requirements

(a) Recordkeeping
Each recipient of a grant under this part shall keep such records as the Secretary shall prescribe, including records which fully disclose

(1) the amount and disposition by such recipient of the proceeds of such assistance;

(2) the cost of the project or undertaking in connection with which such assistance is given or used;

(3) the amount of that portion of the cost of the project or undertaking supplied by other sources; and

(4) such other records as will facilitate an effective audit.

(b) Repayment of unexpended funds
Any funds paid to an institution and not expended or used for the purposes for which the funds were paid within 10 years following the date of the initial grant awarded to an institution under part B of this subchapter shall be repaid to the Treasury of the United States.