This competitive grants program is intended to promote and strengthen the ability of Hispanic-Serving Institutions to carry out higher education programs in the food and agricultural sciences. Programs aim to attract outstanding students and produce graduates capable of enhancing the nation's food and agricultural scientific and professional work force. Click here for more details and the official announcement in the Federal Register.

HACU is pleased to see advocacy efforts have resulted in consideration to HSIs and other developing institutions as the economic stimulus package currently in Congress includes a provision in the bill that would give them priority in higher education funding. The bill passed by the House proposes “Priority Consideration” in the awarding of subgrants by State higher education agencies to institutions of higher education and the first priority is that: “The institution is eligible for Federal assistance under title III or title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965.”

HR 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allocates $6 billion for higher education modernization, renovation and repair.  In addition, $100 million is designated to carry out part A of Title II which funds Teacher Quality Partnership Grants to recruit highly qualified individuals, including minorities, from other occupations into teaching and to improve the preparation of prospective teachers and enhance professional development of new teachers.

For the text of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,
1. Visit:  http://thomas.loc.gov 
2. Select the link: HR1: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
3. Select Text of Legislation - choose the second option (H.R.1.EH)
4. Select Section 9302.HIGHER EDUCATION MODERNIZATION, RENOVATION, AND REPAIR; Priority provision is located under c.1.C.1.   

The Senate has not yet taken action on a similar bill.

The U.S. Department of Education has announced that the FY 2009 “Request for Designation as an Eligible Institution for Title III and Title V Programs, and Request for a Waiver of the Non-Federal Cost Share Requirement” is now available. For more information and a link to the form, click here. (There is also a link on that page to the official Federal Register announcement.) The request for designation as an eligible HSI is due February 20, 2009. 

HSIs must be certified in this part of the process to be eligible to compete in the Title V grant application processes (this year in both the undergraduate program and a new graduate education program) which will be announced later this spring.