Title 20 — EducationRelease 119-73
§1051 Findings and purpose
Title 20 › Chapter CHAPTER 28— - HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - INSTITUTIONAL AID › § 1051
Summary
Provides federal help to colleges that serve many minority and low-income students. Congress found these schools face big risks from weak management, money problems, poor long-term planning (like building endowments), and low use of technology. It also found that the program before 1985 did not always meet their needs. The goal is to help these institutions become financially stable, independent, and better able to give high-quality, fair access to postsecondary education for low-income and minority students through federal assistance.
Full Legal Text
Title 20, §1051
Education — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Congress finds that—
(1)there are a significant number of institutions of higher education serving high percentages of minority students and students from low-income backgrounds, that face problems that threaten their ability to survive;
(2)the problems relate to the management and fiscal operations of certain institutions of higher education, as well as to an inability to engage in long-range planning and development activities, including endowment building;
(3)in order to be competitive and provide a high-quality education for all, institutions of higher education should improve their technological capacity and make effective use of technology;
(4)the subchapter III program prior to 1985 did not always meet the specific development needs of historically Black colleges and universities and other institutions with large concentrations of minority, low-income students;
(5)the solution of the problems of these institutions would enable them to become viable, fiscally stable and independent, thriving institutions of higher education;
(6)providing assistance to eligible institutions will enhance the role of such institutions in providing access and quality education to low-income and minority students;
(7)these institutions play an important role in the American system of higher education, and there is a strong national interest in assisting them in solving their problems and in stabilizing their management and fiscal operations, and in becoming financially independent; and
(8)there is a particular national interest in aiding those institutions of higher education that have historically served students who have been denied access to postsecondary education because of race or national origin and whose participation in the American system of higher education is in the Nation’s interest so that equality of access and quality of postsecondary education opportunities may be enhanced for all students.
(b)It is the purpose of this subchapter to assist such institutions in equalizing educational opportunity through a program of Federal assistance.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 1051, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 301, as added Pub. L. 96–374, title III, § 301, Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1390, stated Congressional findings and purposes for program of providing Federal assistance to institutions of higher education, prior to the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 99–498. Another prior section 1051, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 301, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1229; Pub. L. 89–752, § 10, Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1243; Pub. L. 90–575, title II, §§ 221, 222, Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1038; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 121(a),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 241; Pub. L. 94–482, title I, § 111, Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2091; Pub. L. 96–49, § 4, Aug. 13, 1979, 93 Stat. 351, related to a program of special assistance to strengthen the academic quality of developing institutions, prior to the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 96–374. Prior sections 1052 to 1056 were omitted in the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 96–374. section 1052, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 302, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1229; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 121(a),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 241; Pub. L. 93–380, title VIII, § 832, Aug. 21, 1974, 88 Stat. 603; Pub. L. 94–482, title I, § 112, Oct. 12, 1976, 90 Stat. 2091, related to eligibility for special assistance. section 1053, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 303, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1230; Pub. L. 91–230, title IV, § 401(h)(4), Apr. 13, 1970, 84 Stat. 174; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 121(a), title III, § 301(a)(1),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 242, 326, provided for the establishment of an Advisory Council on Developing Institutions. section 1054, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 304, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1230; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 121(a),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 243, authorized the Commissioner of Education to make grants and awards. section 1055, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 305, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1231; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 121(a),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 244, related to assistance to developing institutions under other programs. section 1056, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 306, as added Pub L. 90–575, title II, § 223(a), Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1038; amended Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 121(a),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 245, prohibited the use of funds for religious activities.
Amendments
1998—Pars. (3) to (8). Pub. L. 105–244 added par. (3) and redesignated former pars. (3) to (7) as (4) to (8), respectively. 1993—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 103–208 struck out the comma after “planning”. 1992—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 102–325, § 301(1), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: “many institutions of higher education in this era of declining enrollments and scarce resources face problems which threaten their ability to survive;”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 102–325, § 301(2), struck out “recruitment activities,” after “long-range planning,”. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 102–325, § 301(3), amended par. (5) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (5) read as follows: “providing a minimum level of assistance to all categories of eligible institutions will assure the continued participation of the institutions in the program established in this subchapter and enhance their role in providing access and quality education to low-income and minority students;”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1998 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 105–244 effective Oct. 1, 1998, except as otherwise provided in Pub. L. 105–244, see section 3 of Pub. L. 105–244, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1993 Amendment Pub. L. 103–208, § 5, Dec. 20, 1993, 107 Stat. 2488, provided that: “(a) In general.—Except as otherwise provided therein or in subsection (b) of this section, the
Amendments
made by section 2 of this Act [see Tables for classification] shall be effective as if such
Amendments
were included in the Higher Education
Amendments
of 1992 (Public Law 102–325), except that section 492 of the Act [section 1098a of this title] shall not apply to the
Amendments
made by this Act [see Tables for classification]. “(b) Exceptions.—“(1) Effective on October 1, 1993.—The
Amendments
made by the following subsections of section 2 of this Act shall be effective on and after October 1, 1993: (b)(29), (j)(28), (j)(36), and (j)(40) [amending section 1070d–34, 1134e, 1134j, and 1134q of this title]. “(2) Effective on date of enactment.—The
Amendments
made by the following subsections of section 2 of this Act shall be effective on and after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 1993]: (b)(2), (b)(7), (b)(28), (c)(3), (c)(5), (c)(13)(B), (c)(13)(C), (c)(18), (c)(30), (c)(62) [amending section 1070a, 1070a–11, 1070d–33, 1075, 1077a, 1078, 1078–1, and 1085 of this title]. “(3) Effective 30 days after enactment.—The
Amendments
made by the following subsections of section 2 of this Act shall be effective on and after 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 1993]: (c)(19), (c)(20), (c)(21), (c)(59) [amending section 1078 and 1085 of this title]. “(4) Effective 60 days after enactment.—The
Amendments
made by the following subsections of section 2 of this Act shall be effective on and after 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 20, 1993]: (c)(31) and (c)(53) [amending section 1078–1 and 1083 of this title]. “(5) Effective on April 1, 1994.—The
Amendments
made by section 2(c)(43)(B) of this Act [amending section 1078–8 of this title] shall be effective on and after
April 1, 1994. “(6) Effective on
July 1, 1994.—The
Amendments
made by the following subsection[s] of section 2 of this Act shall be effective on and after
July 1, 1994: (b)(25), (c)(2), (c)(13)(A), (c)(29) [amending section 1070b–2, 1075, 1078, and 1078–1 of this title]. “(7) Cohort default data examinations.—The amendment made by section 2(c)(60)(A) [amending section 1085 of this title] shall be effective on and after
October 1, 1994. “(8) Cohort default rate determinations.—The
Amendments
made to subsection[s] (a)(3) and (m)(1)(B) of section 435 of this [the] Act [section 1085(a)(3) and (m)(1)(B) of this title] shall apply with respect to the determination (and appeals from determinations) of cohort default rates for fiscal year 1989 and any succeeding fiscal year.”
Effective Date
of 1992 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 102–325 effective Oct. 1, 1992, see section 2 of Pub. L. 102–325, set out as a note under section 1001 of this title.
Effective Date
Pub. L. 99–498, title III, § 301(b), Oct. 17, 1986, 100 Stat. 1308, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [enacting this subchapter] shall take effect July 1, 1987.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
20 U.S.C. § 1051
Title 20 — Education
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73