Minority-Serving Institutions of Higher Education: Serving Communities, Revitalizing the Nation

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) that serve minority populations are unique both in their missions and in their day-to-day operations. Some of these colleges and universities are located in remote regions of the country, while others serve congested urban neighborhoods. Their constituents range from Native Americans, the country's oldest residents, to Hispanic Americans, who count themselves among its most recent arrivals. Some minority-serving institutions (MSIs), like Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), are only a few decades old, while historically black colleges and universities have been in existence for more than a century. MSIs are both integral and essential to their communities. Through executive orders and special legislation enacted over the past 20 years, the federal government seeks to strengthen the prominent role these colleges and universities play in their communities and provide a structured means for these institutions to access federal funds. As part of this federal outreach effort, the Office of University Partnerships (OUP) in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers four grant programs for MSIs. This publication highlights the accomplishments of those four programs: (1) The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) program; (2) The Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) program; (3) The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP); and (4) The Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian Institutions Assisting Communities (AN/NHIAC) program. Furthermore, it illustrates the important role that MSIs play in improving their local communities and the nation as a whole. Chapters 1 through 4 provide background about MSIs, their unique history and mission, and the challenges they face as they serve their target populations. Chapters 5-7 highlight the important work that 18 MSIs are doing to revitalize their communities, support local businesses, and help at-risk individuals and families build better lives for themselves. Chapter 8 illustrates how OUP funds are helping five TCUs enhance their infrastructure and expand their campuses so they can serve more students. Information about all minority-serving institutions that have received a grant from the Office of University Partnerships (OUP) since 1998 is appended.