HBGI Program

HISTORICALLY BLACK GRADUATE INSTITUTIONS PROGRAM, (HBGI)

Program Description

The Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions (HBGI) Program provides grants to assist institutions in establishing and strengthening their physical plants, development offices, endowment funds, academic resources, and student services so that they may continue to participate in fulfilling the goal of equality of educational opportunity in graduate education. Subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary shall award program grants to institutions 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.

Types of Projects

Funds may be used for the purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment. Also supported are the construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement of instruction facilities. Funds support faculty exchanges and the development of academic instruction in disciplines in which black Americans are underrepresented. Projects may support the purchase of library materials as well as tutoring, counseling, and student service programs. Also supported are: funds and administrative management; joint use of facilities; establishment or improvement of development offices; establishment or enhancement of programs of teacher education; establishment of outreach programs; and other activities that a grantee proposes in its application that contribute to carrying out the purposes of the program and are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of the grant application.

Additional Information

The Strengthening Historically Black Graduate Institutions Program provides grants to assist the institution in establishing and strengthening its endowment funds, academic resources, and student services so that they may continue to participate in fulfilling the goal of equality of educational opportunity in graduate education.

Funds may be used for the:

• purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes;
• construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services;
• purchase of library books, periodicals, technical and other scientific journals, microfilm, microfiche, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program materials;
• 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;
• establishing or improving a development office to strengthen and increase contributions from alumni and the private sector;
• assisting in the establishment or maintenance of an institutional endowment to facilitate financial independence pursuant to section 326 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 as amended;
• funds and administrative management, and the acquisition of equipment, including software, for use in strengthening funds management and management information systems;
• acquisition of real property that is adjacent to the campus in connection with the construction, renovation, or addition to or improvement of campus facilities;
• education or financial information designed to improve the financial literacy and economic literacy of students or the students’ families, especially with regard to student indebtedness and student assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 as amended;
• services necessary for the implementation of projects or activities that are described in the grant application and that are approved, in advance, by the Secretary, except that not more than two percent of the grant amount may be used for this purpose;
• tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success; and
• other activities proposed in the application submitted under subsection (d) that contribute to carrying out the purposes of this part; and are approved by the Secretary as part of the review and acceptance of such application.