Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) cosponsored legislation to permanently extend and increase mandatory funding levels for minority-serving institutions. The Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions Act will increase mandatory funding levels from $255 million to $300 million for minority-serving institutions of higher education. Part of this funding expired in Fiscal Year 2014 and the rest is set to expire in Fiscal Year 2019, leaving already financially strapped schools at risk.
“Nevada is proud to be home to four Minority-Serving Institutions: the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Southern Nevada, Nevada State College and Truckee Meadows Community College. This bill will allow our colleges and universities to continue doing an outstanding job supporting the educational pursuits of all students. It is one of my top priorities to ensure educational equity in Nevada, and I hope this will bring us one step closer to providing equal opportunities to all Nevadans.”
BACKGROUND:
Under the Strengthening Minority-Serving Institutions Act:
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) would receive $99,875,000, an increase of nearly $15 million in capacity-building funding;
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions would receive $117.5 million, an increase in $17.5 million in capacity-building funding, with priority for STEM and Articulation programs;
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) would be eligible for a competitive grant program funded at $17,625,000, an increase of $2.6 million, with each school eligible for $600,000 grants; and,
- All other Minority-Serving Institutions would receive $65 million, an increase of $10 million in capacity-building funding.
The legislation was led by Senator Doug Jones (D-Ala.) and is also cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).
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