Historical background
The United States Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed into law on November 8, 1965. The law was intended "to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance from students in postsecondary and higher education." [1]
Contents
Title V of the Higher Education Act (HEA) was created in 1998 to expand educational opportunities for Hispanic students in order to increase their postsecondary academic success through the expansion and enhancement of the academic offerings, program quality, and institutional stability of the colleges and universities that educate the majority of Hispanic college students in the United States.
The research that led to the creation of Title V determined that Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) provide a significant proportion of postsecondary opportunities for Hispanic students even though they receive significantly less in State and local funding, per fulltime equivalent (FTE) student, than other institutions of higher education, thereby limiting their ability to expand and improve programs and institutional strength. Hispanic-Serving Institutions are defined as those with low education and general expenditures, and 25 percent or more FTE undergraduate Hispanic students of whom 50 percent or more are low-income.
Title V funds may be used by the institutions to plan, develop, undertake, and carry out programs to improve and expand the institutions' capacity to serve Hispanic students and other low-income students; such activities may include the renovation of instructional facilities, faculty development, the purchase of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, funds and administrative management, development and improvement of academic programs, acquisition of equipment to strengthen funds management and academic programs, joint use of facilities, academic tutoring, counseling programs, and student support services.
[2]
Title V Expansion
In 2009 Title-V of the Higher Education Act was expanded; for the first time it allowed for funding assistance opportunities to graduate programs of Hispanic serving institutions in its new "Part B" section
Statutory language [3]
PART B--PROMOTING POSTBACCALAUREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS
SEC. 511. PURPOSES. The purposes of this part are-- (1) to expand postbaccalaureate educational opportunities for, and improve the academic attainment of, Hispanic students; and (2) to expand the postbaccalaureate academic offerings and enhance the program quality in the institutions of higher education that are educating the majority of Hispanic college students and helping large numbers of Hispanic and low-income students complete postsecondary degrees.