20 U.S.C. § 1103 — Eligibility; applications

**(a) Institutional eligibility** Each Hispanic-serving institution desiring to receive assistance under this subchapter shall submit to the Secretary such enrollment data as may be necessary to demonstrate that the institution is a Hispanic-serving institution as defined in [section 1101a of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section1101a&num=0&edition=prelim), along with such other data and information as the Secretary may by regulation require. **(b) Applications** (1) **Applications required** — Any institution which is eligible for assistance under this subchapter shall submit to the Secretary an application for assistance at such time, in such form, and containing such information, as may be necessary to enable the Secretary to evaluate the institution’s need for assistance. Subject to the availability of appropriations to carry out this subchapter, the Secretary may approve an application for a grant under this subchapter only if the Secretary determines that— (A) the application meets the requirements of subsection (c); and (B) the institution is eligible for assistance in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter under which the assistance is sought. (2) **Preliminary applications** — In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary may develop a preliminary application for use by Hispanic-serving institutions applying under this subchapter prior to the submission of the principal application. **(c) Contents** A Hispanic-serving institution, in the institution’s application for a grant, shall— (1) set forth, or describe how the institution will develop, a comprehensive development plan to strengthen the institution’s academic quality and institutional management, and otherwise provide for institutional self-sufficiency and growth (including measurable objectives for the institution and the Secretary to use in monitoring the effectiveness of activities under this subchapter); (2) include a 5-year plan for improving the assistance provided by the Hispanic-serving institution to Hispanic students and other low-income individuals; (3) set forth policies and procedures to ensure that Federal funds made available under this subchapter for any fiscal year will be used to supplement and, to the extent practical, increase the funds that would otherwise be made available for the purposes of [section 1101(b) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section1101/b&num=0&edition=prelim), and in no case supplant those funds; (4) set forth policies and procedures for evaluating the effectiveness in accomplishing the purpose of the activities for which a grant is sought under this subchapter; (5) provide for such fiscal control and fund accounting procedures as may be necessary to ensure proper disbursement of and accounting for funds made available to the institution under this subchapter; (6) provide that the institution will comply with the limitations set forth in [section 1103e of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title20-section1103e&num=0&edition=prelim); (7) describe in a comprehensive manner any proposed project for which funds are sought under the application and include— (A) a description of the various components of the proposed project, including the estimated time required to complete each such component; (B) in the case of any development project that consists of several components (as described by the institution pursuant to subparagraph (A)), a statement identifying those components which, if separately funded, would be sound investments of Federal funds and those components which would be sound investments of Federal funds only if funded under this subchapter in conjunction with other parts of the development project (as specified by the institution); (C) an evaluation by the institution of the priority given any proposed project for which funds are sought in relation to any other projects for which funds are sought by the institution under this subchapter, and a similar evaluation regarding priorities among the components of any single proposed project (as described by the institution pursuant to subparagraph (A)); (D) a detailed budget showing the manner in which funds for any proposed project would be spent by the institution; and (E) a detailed description of any activity which involves the expenditure of more than $25,000, as identified in the budget referred to in subparagraph (D); (8) provide for making reports, in such form and containing such information, as the Secretary may require to carry out the Secretary’s functions under this subchapter, including not less than one report annually setting forth the institution’s progress toward achieving the objectives for which the funds were awarded and for keeping such records and affording such access to such records, as the Secretary may find necessary to assure the correctness and verification of such reports; and (9) include such other information as the Secretary may prescribe. **(d) Priority** With respect to applications for assistance under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an application that contains satisfactory evidence that the Hispanic-serving institution has entered into or will enter into a collaborative arrangement with at least one local educational agency or community-based organization to provide such agency or organization with assistance (from funds other than funds provided under this subchapter) in reducing dropout rates for Hispanic students, improving rates of academic achievement for Hispanic students, and increasing the rates at which Hispanic secondary school graduates enroll in higher education. **(e) Eligibility data** The Secretary shall use the most recent and relevant data concerning the number and percentage of students receiving need-based assistance under subchapter IV in making eligibility determinations and shall advance the base-year for the determinations forward following each annual grant cycle.