Member Advisory
December 17, 2009

President Signs Omnibus Spending Bill for FY 2010;
Title V Undergraduate reaches $117 M

President Barack Obama yesterday signed the omnibus spending bill sent to him by Congress this past week for FY 2010 appropriations.

Federal programs for Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) will see historic funding increases in FY 2010. Title V Part A appropriations will be increased to $117,429,000 or 25.9% (from $93 million in FY 2009). In addition, Part B (graduate education) is funded at $10.5 million. The Omnibus Spending Bill also includes $6,520,000 designated for the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities Program (HSIAC) as part of the $25 million for HUD’s Partnerships with Minority Serving Colleges and Universities (MSIs).

The six bill package includes the Commerce-Justice-Science, Financial Services, Labor-HHS-Education, Military Construction-VA, State-Foreign Operations and Transportation-HUD spending bills.

“The increased funding to Title V Part A (the undergraduate program) and the continuation of Title V Part B (the graduate program) represents a major victory for HSIs,” said President and CEO of HACU, Antonio R. Flores. “HACU thanks all the members of Congress who have supported increased FY 2010 funding for HSIs and President Obama for approving it,” said Flores.

The bill also directs the National Science Foundation to report within 90 days on plans to establish an HSI program in FY 2011 for which “The conferees expect a significant funding request.”

Congress and the President had approved FY 2010 Agriculture Appropriations in October 2009, which includes $9.327 million for the Education Grants Program for HSIs in FY 2010, or 50% up from last year’s $6.2 million. Also, regulations are still in development for the new Hispanic Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities program approved last year in the Farm Bill.

HACU has already begun working on FY 2011 appropriations for these and other HSI programs and will soon start working with individual federal agencies in their respective HSI requests for 2012.

Please take a moment to thank the President and Members of Congress for this much needed funding for Hispanic higher education.