U.S. Department of Education · General
ED Predominantly Black Institutions Program (PBI) Competitive Grant
Funds Predominantly Black Institutions — non-HBCU institutions with substantial Black enrollment and need — to plan, develop, undertake, and implement programs that enhance their capacity to serve more Black and low-income students. Multiple authorized activity tracks.
Program facts
- Typical award
- $400K – $1.5M
- Non-federal match
- Varies by NOFO
- Audience
- Local governments and eligible subrecipients
- Application window
- Periodic discretionary competition.
- Typical prep time
- 8–14 weeks
- Statutory authority
- Higher Education Act Title III, Part A §318 (20 U.S.C. §1059e)
Catalog entry last verified 2026-05-27 · Verify on the agency page →
Eligibility at a glance
- Institutions of higher education are eligible applicants.
- Restricted to Predominantly Black Institutions.
Statutory definition requires ≥40% Black student enrollment, an undergraduate enrollment of ≥1,000, and ≥50% low-income or first-generation students. Amounts and timing approximate; verify directly with administering agency.
How Strategic Pursuit scores this program
When you run a city dossier, Strategic Pursuit cross-checks the city's demographics, federal award history, disaster history, and CEJST burden categories against this program's eligibility and strategic-fit signals. You see an explicit eligibility / strategic / competitive grade — backed by source citations — instead of a generic "match" badge.
Planning purposes only. Award ranges, match percentages, and application windows on this page summarize the latest publicly available agency guidance and are approximate. Always verify the binding NOFO on the administering agency's page before applying.