TITLE III OVERVIEW
Department of Education
In the Higher Education Act of 1965, there were more than eight (8) Titles or Sections. Title III was an effort by the U. S. Congress to fund a grant to enhance institutions. According to Congress, Title III stands for, “Strengthening Developing Institutions”.
Congress defined the purpose of Title III as follows:
“The purpose of this Title is to assist in raising the academic quality of colleges, which have the desire and potential to make a substantial contribution to higher education resources of our nation, but which for financial and other reasons are struggling for survival and are isolated from the main current of academic life.”
The U. S. Department of Education, Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education Services administer the Title III Program. The Title III Program supports the Department of Education’s commitment to improve educational opportunities for minorities and the disadvantaged. Funding is focused on institutions that enroll large proportions of disadvantaged students. An important objective of the Title III Program is to help participating institutions improve their academic programs and management, and become financially independent in order to increase their self-sufficiency, and strengthen their capacity to make a substantial contribution to the higher education resources of the Nation.
In Washington D.C., Title III is also referred to as the "President's Program".
Project Administration is the executive arm of the University’s Title III, Part B, Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities, (HBCUs) grant and the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, (CCRAA) Programs. Project Administration has the responsibility to assure that the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) is adhered to and a description of the institutional progress has been made in carrying out the goal of the plan.
Title III Programs Office, or Project Administration, reports to the President of the University. All Activity Coordinators should report all matters relative to their Title III activity to the Title III Director. They also report to their respective department heads or deans. The rationale for this relationship is to ensure that these activities are not operating in isolation. By having full cooperation of all components of the University, Title III has a larger impact and is more likely to be continued with local resources once Title III funding expires.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to receive a grant under the Strengthening HBCU program, an institution must be designated by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education as an HBCU. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, defines an HBCU as an institution established prior to 1964 whose principal mission was, and is, the education of Black Americans, and must:
(1) Satisfy Section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA);
(2) Be legally authorized by the State in which it is located:
- To be a junior or community college; or
- To provide an educational program for which it awards a bachelor’s degree; and,
(3) Be accredited or pre-accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association.
TITLE III PROGRAMS OFFICE MISSION STATEMENT
Compliance and accountability are critical factors in the oversight of Title III funds.
The Mission of Title III is to serve as the central administrative office for the management of Title III federally funded activities. Title III assists the University by monitoring all activities for compliance; providing administrative oversight for planning, management and budgetary accountability; and providing technical assistance and evaluation processes for each funded activity. Title III strengthens the University’s academic programs, fiscal stability, student services, endowment buildings and physical plants. Additionally, the office serves as a liaison between GSU and the U.S. Department of Education, Institutional Development and Undergraduate Education Service, (IDUES) whose name recently changed to Institutional Service (IS).