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Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) Grant

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), which was included in the health care reconciliation bill that was passed on March 21, 2010 and signed into law on March 30, 2010, embraces the president's challenge to produce the  most college graduates by 2020. SAFRA makes the single largest investment in federal student aid ever.

The SAFRA grant is awarded through the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Program of the Department of Education for a ten year period beginning October 1, 2010. Title III, Part F of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, provides an additional $85 million annually until fiscal year 2019 for the Title III, Part B HBCU program. These mandatory (SAFRA) funds are added to monies appropriated in a regular or supplemental grant awarded under the Title III, Part B Strengthening HBCU Program.

Recipients of the HBCU and SAFRA Grants must comply with these conditions under Public Law 105-78, Sec. 508. The purpose of the Title III/SAFRA program is to assist HBCUs in establishing and strengthening their physical plants, academic resources, and student services to continue to fulfill the goal of equalizing educational opportunity. The following represents the activities allowable under the HBCU program:

1.     Purchase, rent or lease scientific and laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional or research purposes;

2.     Construction, maintenance, renovation, and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities, including the purchases or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services;

3.     Support faculty exchanges, faculty development, and faculty fellowships in order to assist faculty in attaining advanced degrees in their fields of instruction;

4.     Support academic instruction in disciplines in which African-Americans are underrepresented;

5.     Purchase library books, periodicals, microfilm, and other educational materials;

6.     Tutoring, counseling, and support of student service programs designed to improve academic success;

7.     Funds for administrative management and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management;

8.     Funds for cooperative programs and joint use facilities, such as laboratories and libraries;

9.     Establishing or improving a development office to strengthen or improve contributions from alumni and the private sector;

10.   Establishing or enhancing a program of teacher education designed to qualify students to teach in a public elementary or secondary school that shall include, as part of the program, preparation for teacher certification;

11.   Establishing community outreach programs that will encourage elementary and secondary students to develop the academic skills and interest to pursue post-secondary education; and

12.   Other activities that contribute to carrying out the purpose of the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program - Title III/SAFRA.