Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Designation
The Minority Serving Institution (MSI) designation allows UMBC to apply for new grants and other opportunities that will fund further innovation, research, support, and resources needed to foster student success.
MSI designation is granted for one year only and must be renewed annually via a rigorous application process. Eligibility is determined by minority population thresholds and a needy student study requirement. The term Minority Serving Institution is not defined by the U.S. Federal Statute. Still, it is generally used as an umbrella term, which includes institutions of higher education enrolling a significant percentage of undergraduate minority students or serving certain populations of minority students under various programs created by Congress. These include the following:
- Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (ANANHSI)
- Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI)
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
- Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI)
- Native American Serving Non-Tribal Institutions (NASNTI)
- Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI)
- Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU)
UMBC is designated as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) (see the latest U.S. Department of Education Eligibility Matrix for FY 2024), meeting the threshold of 10% of domestic students identifying as Asian American. To date, UMBC has not met the eligibility thresholds for the needy student requirement but has successfully submitted an exemption request each year. The programs, initiatives, supports and services offered to our students, and our ability to assess and demonstrate their efficacy, have allowed us to seek renewal of MSI status each year successfully and, per the Eligibility Matrix, eligible for the Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP).
2024 Designation: FY2025 Eligibility Letter (eligibility for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2024)
2023 Designation: FY2024 Eligibility Letter (eligibility for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2023)
2022 Designation: FY2023 Eligibility Letter (eligibility for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2022)
2021 Designation: FY2022 Eligibility Letter (eligibility for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2021)
2020 Designation: FY2021 Eligibility Letter (eligibility for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2020)