[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8159-S8160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DOMENICI:
  S. 1287. A bill to amend section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 regarding the definition of a Hispanic-serving institution; 
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I rise today to introduce a bill that 
will amend Title V of the Higher Education Act. Specifically, this bill 
will eliminate the ``50 percent'' low-income assurance constraint 
currently required for Hispanic Serving Institutions to be eligible for 
grants under Title V of the Higher Education Act.
  Title V of the Higher Education Act is the primary vehicle used to 
target urgently needed funds to Hispanic Serving Institutions so that 
they can strengthen and expand their institutional capacity. Grants 
under this section can be used by higher education institutions to 
improve academic quality, institutional management, and financial 
stability. These grants are essential to institutions that provide and 
increase the number of educational opportunities available to Hispanic 
students.
  Under current guidelines, in order to qualify for a grant under Title 
V, an institution must have at least 25 percent full time, Hispanic 
undergraduate student enrollment, and not less than 50 percent of its 
Hispanic student population must be low income. Title V grants are 
awarded for 5 years, with a minimum two year wait out period after the 
termination of a grant period before eligibility to apply for another 
grant. During fiscal year 2002, 191 institutions were awarded grants.
  Title V's current ``50 percent'' low-income assurance requirement is 
an unnecessary bureaucratic regulation that constrains Hispanic Serving 
Institutions abilities to implement programs designed to provide long 
range solutions to Hispanic higher education challenges. Currently, 
there are no government authorized means to collect student financial 
data, and, although some information can be extrapolated from student 
financial aid forms, it is not enough information to complete the Title 
V forms.
  The bill I am introducing today will improve the HSI eligibility 
requirements by allowing applicants for Title V funding to satisfy the 
50 percent low-income Hispanic student population criterion with 
appropriate evidence of student eligibility for Title IV, need-based, 
aid. The revised Title V section will retain the requirement that to be 
eligible for title V funds, an institution must have an enrollment of 
needy students. However, rather than conditioning grant qualification 
upon the cumbersome requirement that institutions prove 50 percent of 
their Hispanic students are low income, it will allow institutions to 
qualify for Title V money if 50 percent of the students are receiving 
need-based assistance under title IV or a substantial percentage of the 
students are receiving Pell Grants.
  The Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed into law for the purpose 
of increasing access to higher education for all citizens of the United 
States and of strengthening the capacity of higher education 
institutions to better serve their communities. The reauthorization of 
the Higher Education Act during the 108th Congress presents a powerful 
opportunity for the nation to address the higher education needs of the 
nation's Hispanic-Serving Institutions, which serve the largest 
concentrations of Hispanic higher education students in the United 
States.
  Hispanic Serving Institutions provide the quality education essential 
to full participation in today's society. Many students in my home 
state of New Mexico have benefited from the academic excellence that 
Hispanic Serving Institutions seek to provide. Title V grants are 
intended to provide assistance to these less advantaged, developing 
institutions. However, by convoluting the application process, Congress 
is preventing these institutions from applying for grants and 
obstructing their development.
  I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

[[Page S8160]]

                                S. 1287

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DEFINITION OF A HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION.

       Section 502(a)(5) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 1101a(a)(5)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``; and'' and 
     inserting a period; and
       (3) by striking subparagraph (C).
                                 ______