The U.S. Department of Education through its Office of Civil Rights is responsible for ensuring equal access to education and for promoting educational excellence throughout the nation. Accredited Postsecondary Minority Serving Institutions have access to Federal resources and monies. Minority Serving Institutions fall into several categories:

There are 103 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities provides a list and definition of an HBCU as: " ... any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association, making reasonable progress toward accreditation."

Unlike the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), there is no official designation of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs). In 1998-99 there were 203 HSIs recognized by Title V of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended. This legislation identifies HSIs as accredited and degree-granting public or private non-profit institutions of higher education with at least 25 percent or more total undergraduate Hispanic full-time equivalent student enrollment.

Federal funding programs may apply additional criteria for specific program eligibility beyond the 25 percent enrollment. The Title V-Developing Hispanic Serving Institutions web site has the application for funding that establishes HSI eligibility.

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) were created to provide quality higher education to American Indians and serve geographically isolated populations. In 1968 the Navajo Nation created the first tribally controlled college, Dine College. The designation of Tribal Colleges and Universities is covered under several Federal statutes. Today, there are 28 tribally chartered colleges and three federally chartered Indian college in a total of 12 states.

The Tribally Controlled College and University Assistance Act provides funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior to 25 postsecondary institutions where at least 50 percent of students are American Indian. The Navajo Community College Act identifies Dine College (Arizona) as a minority serving institution. The Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act identifies United Tribes Technical College (North Dakota) and Crownpoint Institute of Technology (New Mexico) as minority serving institutions.

Minority Postsecondary Institutions (MSIs) as defined by OCR pursuant to § 1067k(3), Education Amendments of 1998 to the Higher Education Act of 1965, are institutions that have a combination of different minority groups that total at least 50% of their enrollments.

The Higher Education Act Amendments of 1998 identified and defined Alaska Native Serving Institutions as having an undergraduate student enrollment of at least 20 percent Alaska native students. Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions have an enrollment of undergraduate students that is at least 10 percent Native Hawaiian students.

At this time, racial and ethnic information collected from postsecondary institutions does not disaggregate date for American Indian or Alaskan Native persons, or Asian or Pacific Islander persons.