In the higher education system of the United States, minority-serving institution (MSI) is a descriptive term for universities and colleges that enroll a significant percentage of students from minority groups.
The term MSI is defined in US federal statute under the Higher Education Act (HEA), and several federal agencies maintain a listing of eligible institutions that receive HEA funding designated for MSIs, such as the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation.
[1] For example, a report from the U.S. Department of Education on the characteristics of MSIs[2] defined MSI based on either of two separate criteria; 1) legislation (e.g. HBCU, TCU, or 2) percentage of minority undergraduate enrollment based on IPEDS data[3] (i.e. "institutions that enroll at least 25 percent of a specific minority group are designated as “minority-serving” for that group").
These institutions have highly diverse faculties and staffs, enhance student learning and promote leadership skills, and provide programs of study address deficiencies that originated at the primary and secondary level.
[5] MSIs serve a large number of financially-challenged students: 98 percent of African Americans and Native Americans who enroll at HBCUs or TCUs receive or qualify for federal financial aid, and over 50% of all students enrolled at MSIs receive Pell Grant support.