ABSTRACT
As has been described in previous chapters, many institutional policies and practices negatively impact the higher education attainment of low-income students. Most research in this area is directed toward “mainstream” institutions that serve a relatively small fraction of racial/ ethnic minority students, who are more likely than their peers to be from low-income backgrounds. However, a number of higher education institutions exist that directly focus on minority students and promise to support those students along their path toward academic success. Th ese are Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Th e goal of this chapter is to highlight the role of MSIs in serving low-income students, with a special focus on the institutional policies and practices that may diff erentiate them from other colleges and universities.1 Th e following sections will defi ne MSIs and provide context for their role in higher education through an overview of their student and institutional characteristics. Th en, using a post-structuralist analysis, the chapter will highlight positive MSI practices, potential barriers, and recommendations for supporting lowincome student success.
