Minority-serving institution

In the higher education system of the United States, minority-serving institutions (abbreviated MSI) make up a category of educational establishments (federally recognized Title IV colleges and universities) based on enrollment criteria (typically the percentage of enrolled minorities at a particular school). Such schools are eligible for federal funding under Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965.Until 2007, no federal legislation existed concerning Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Serving Institutions. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 made history, because it federally recognized the existence of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) serving institutions, making them eligible to be designated as minority serving institutions.

The seven categories of MSI are as follows:

1. historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) (e.g. Howard University)
2. Black-serving non-HBCUs - institutions in which Black students amount to at least 25% of the total undergraduate enrollment, while other minority groups each constitute less than 25% of total undergraduate enrollment (e.g. University of Arkansas at Little Rock)
3. Hispanic-serving institutions - institutions in which Hispanic students amount to at least 25% of the total undergraduate enrollment, while other minority groups each constitute less than 25% of total undergraduate enrollment (e.g. University of Texas at El Paso)
4. Asian-serving institutions - institutions in which Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (API) students constitute at least 25% of the total undergraduate enrollment, while other minority groups each constitute less than 25% of total undergraduate enrollment (e.g. University of California, Los Angeles)
5. American Indian-serving institutions - tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) or institutions that are not HBCUs/TCUs but in which American Indian/Alaska Native students constitute at least 25 percent of the total undergraduate enrollment, while students in each of the other minority groups constitute less than 25 percent of the total undergraduate enrollment (e.g. Southeastern Oklahoma State University)
6. Other minority-serving: institutions in which minority students constitute at least 50 percent of the total undergraduate enrollment, but do not fit any of the above categories
7. Non-minority-serving: institutions that do not meet any of the criteria described above

Specific Executive Orders currently governing MSI operations include

• E.O. 12876, Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• E.O. 12900; White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
• E.O. 13021 Tribal Colleges and Universities; E.O. 13096 American Indian and Alaska Native Education
• E.O. 13125, Increasing Federal Programs for Asian American Pacific Islanders
• E.O. 13078, Increasing Employment of Adults with Disabilities.

External links

• MSI site for the Federal Aviation Administration
• Minority Serving Institutions - Community of Partners Council