Title III, Part F (HSI STEM & Articulation Program)

HACU's Position
HACU applauds the passage of the FUTURE Act (H.R. 5363) by Congress, which permanently extends Title III, Part F of the Higher Education Act. This is a historic win for HSIs and the millions of students they serve.

Background
The Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Articulation Programs (HSI STEM & Articulation Programs) is authorized under Title III, Part F, Section 371 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended by the Health CareReconciliation and Education Affordability Act of 2010.

Grants are competitively awarded to HSIs for projects that propose:

  1. to increase the number of Hispanic and other low-income students to attain degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and
  2. to develop model transfer and articulation agreements between two-year HSIs and four-year institutions.  The program awards two types of 5-year grants: individual development grants and cooperative grants.

Activities of these grants may include, but are not limited to:

  • Improving academic quality of STEM programs through curriculum revision and development, or faculty development.
  • Developing research opportunities for students in STEM fields.
  • Providing or improving student services including counseling, tutoring, mentoring or establishing learning communities.
  • Encouraging secondary students to pursue STEM degrees and careers through outreach activities.
  • Improving STEM facilities and equipment needed for science instruction and computer laboratories.

Funding
The funding for the HSI STEM and Articulation Program ($1 billion over 10 years) is unique in that it is mandatory funding, and therefore not subject to annual appropriations by Congress.  There have been two cohorts in the program: 2011 and 2016, and a total of 282 grants have been awarded. 

The authority for Title III, Part F expired on September 30, 2019, however it was permanently extended on December 10, 2019 when Congress passed the FUTURE Act (H.R. 5363).

Below are some charts summarzing the funding history of the HSI STEM and Articualtion Program.

 

116th Congress - FUTURE Act
Senators Doug Jones (D-AL) and Tim Scott (R-SC) along with Representatives Alma Adams (D-NC) and Mark Walker (R-NC) introduced the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act (H.R. 2486 / S. 1279). The bill reauthorizes Title III, Part F of the Higher Education Act until the end of FY 2021. Current authority was set to expire on September 30, 2019.  For the past decade this program has played a vital role in increasing STEM production and expanding institutional capacity at Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including HSIs. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse and the number of MSIs continues to grow, federal funding for these schools is more important than ever to ensure that we can prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs and reduce our dependence on importing foreign talent.

The House of Representatives passed the FUTURE Act (H.R. 2486) by voice vote on September 17, 2019. Unfortunately the Senate did not pass the FUTURE Act, and as a result Title III, Part F expired on September 30th.

After continued negotiations, Congressional leaders agreed on a revised bill and introduced a new FUTURE Act (H.R. 5363) that combined the FUTURE Act with the FAFSA Act. Notable changes to the bill include: 1) a permanent extension of Title III, Part F, and; 2) simplification the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filing process for students and families by allowing for direct data sharing between the Dept. of Education and the Internal Revenue Service.

On December 10, 2019, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed the revised FUTURE Act (H.R. 5363).  This is a historic win for HSIs, since the bill now permanently extends the critical STEM funding ($100 million annually) for all HSIs.

Additional Resources

Did you know?
Despite having access to fewer resources compared to other institutions, and only constituting 14.5% of all colleges and universities, HSIs impressively produced 40% of the STEM bachelor’s degrees earned by Latino students in 2010.

GR Team on Twitter


The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, founded in 1986, represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. HACU is the only national association representing existing and emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). The Association’s headquarters are in San Antonio, Texas, with regional offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, California.

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