Basic Needs Grants Available for HBCUs and MSIs

Applications for $9.5 million in new Basic Needs Grants are now available from the Department of Education. In the private, nonprofit sector, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Minority Serving Institutions are considered eligible institutions. The Department will award an estimated 12 grants between $500,000 and $900,000 to establish systemic and sustainable support services to address student basic needs insecurity. The deadline for submitting applications is August 5, 2024.

For this award competition, there are two absolute priorities, meaning applications must address these priorities to be considered; two competitive preference priorities, meaning applicants can earn additional points for addressing these priorities but they are not required to; and two invitational priorities, meaning the competition invites projects addressing these issues, but no additional points are awarded for doing so.

The priorities as outlined in the Federal Register notice are as follows:

• Absolute priority 1: strengthening cross-agency coordination and community engagement to advance systemic change.
• Absolute priority 2: promoting equity in student access to educational resources and opportunities.
• Competitive Preference priority 1: meeting student social, emotional and academic needs.
• Competitive Preference priority 2: increasing postsecondary education access, affordability, completion and post-enrollment success.
• Invitational priority 1: leveraging public benefit programs.
• Invitational priority 2: developing a campus-wide strategy to address student mental health needs.

For more information, please contact:
Stephanie Giesecke