Title 20, EducationRelease 119-110

§1061 Definitions

Title 20 › CHAPTER 28 — HIGHER EDUCATION RESOURCES AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE › SUBCHAPTER III — INSTITUTIONAL AID › Part B — Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities › § 1061

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

Defines five key words used in this part. Graduate means a person who spent at least three semesters at a school and finished undergraduate requirements within no more than five straight school years. Part B institution means a historically Black college or university set up before 1964 whose main mission was and is to educate Black Americans, and that is accredited or making reasonable progress toward accreditation; a special rule treats certain branch campuses that got earlier special-needs grants and NCES recognition as part B starting July 18, 1988 (with dates Sept. 30, 1986 and Oct. 17, 1986 noted for the exception). Pell Grant recipient means someone who got Pell Grant aid under subpart 1 of part A of subchapter IV of this chapter. Professional and academic areas in which Blacks are underrepresented are chosen by the Secretary, with the Commissioner for Education Statistics and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using the latest good data; they mean fields where the share of Black Americans educated, trained, and working in those fields is less than their share of the general population. School year means the 12 months from July 1 through June 30.

Full Legal Text

Title 20, §1061

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purpose of this part:
(1)The term “graduate” means an individual who has attended an institution for at least three semesters and fulfilled academic requirements for undergraduate studies in not more than 5 consecutive school years.
(2)The term “part B institution” means any historically Black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation,, except that any branch campus of a southern institution of higher education that prior to September 30, 1986, received a grant as an institution with special needs under section 1060 of this title and was formally recognized by the National Center for Education Statistics as a Historically Black College or University but was determined not to be a part B institution on or after October 17, 1986, shall, from July 18, 1988, be considered a part B institution.
(3)The term “Pell Grant recipient” means a recipient of financial aid under subpart 1 of part A of subchapter IV of this chapter.
(4)The term “professional and academic areas in which Blacks are underrepresented” shall be determined by the Secretary, in consultation with the Commissioner for Education Statistics and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on the basis of the most recent available satisfactory data, as professional and academic areas in which the percentage of Black Americans who have been educated, trained, and employed is less than the percentage of Blacks in the general population.
(5)The term “school year” means the period of 12 months beginning July 1 of any calendar year and ending June 30 of the following calendar year.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1061, Pub. L. 89–329, title III, § 322, as added Pub. L. 96–374, title III, § 301, Oct. 3, 1980, 94 Stat. 1393, defined terms used in this part, prior to the general revision of this subchapter by Pub. L. 99–498. Another prior section 1061, Pub. L. 89–329, title IV, § 401, Nov. 8, 1965, 79 Stat. 1232; Pub. L. 90–575, title I, § 101(a), (b)(1), Oct. 16, 1968, 82 Stat. 1017; Pub. L. 91–95, § 4, Oct. 22, 1969, 83 Stat. 143; Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 131(a)(1)(A),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 247, related to statement of purpose and authorization of appropriations for educational opportunity grants, prior to the general revision of part A of subchapter IV of this chapter by Pub. L. 92–318, title I, § 131(b)(1),
June 23, 1972, 86 Stat. 247.

Amendments

2008—Par. (4). Pub. L. 110–315 inserted “, in consultation with the Commissioner for Education Statistics” before “and the Commissioner”. 1988—Par. (2). Pub. L. 100–369 inserted “,, except that any branch campus of a southern institution of higher education that prior to
September 30, 1986, received a grant as an institution with special needs under section 1060 of this title and was formally recognized by the National Center for Education Statistics as a Historically Black College or University but was determined not to be a part B institution on or after
October 17, 1986, shall, from
July 18, 1988, be considered a part B institution” after “accreditation”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

20 U.S.C. § 1061

Title 20, Education

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110