House higher ed bill would tie funding to performance for HBCUs

The House Republican version of the updated Higher Education Act would tie funding for minority-serving institutions to graduation or transfer rates.

The bill would require minority-serving institutions, such as historically black colleges and universities, to graduate or transfer at least 25 percent of students to maintain their funding.

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The House on Friday introduced its bill to overhaul the Higher Education Act of 1965. The legislation is subject to change as it progresses through the House and Senate.

The Chronicle of Higher Education estimated that, based on first-year, full-time student graduation or transfer rates, 36 institutions would be ineligible to receive funds under the current proposal.

Tying funding to performance drew mixed reviews. An assistant professor at Hofstra told Inside Higher Ed that such a policy “gets institutions’ attention and it does prompt changes in their campus programming.” 

One critic told Inside Higher Ed that graduation rates are a poor metric for minority-serving institutions, which often cater to nontraditional students.