The ANNH program helps eligible institutions of higher education increase their self-sufficiency and expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and fiscal stability of eligible applicants.

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) that meet certain eligibility requirements may apply. For additional information about eligibility for ANNH, please see the Eligibility page on this Web site.

Grants awarded under this section shall be used for one or more of the following activities:

• Purchase, rental or lease of scientific or laboratory equipment for educational purposes, including instructional and research purposes;
• Renovation and improvement in classroom, library, laboratory, and other instructional facilities;
• Support of faculty exchanges, faculty development, and faculty fellowships to assist faculty in attaining advanced degrees in the field of instruction of the faculty;
• Curriculum development and academic instruction;
• Purchase of library books, periodicals, and other educational materials, including telecommunications program material;
• Tutoring, counseling, and student service programs designed to improve academic success;
• Funds management, administrative management, and acquisition of equipment for use in strengthening funds management;
• Joint use of facilities, such as laboratories and libraries; and
• Creating or improving facilities for Internet or other distance learning academic instruction capabilities, including purchase or rental of telecommunications technology equipment or services.

Generally, we invite applications for ANNH grants every year.

The average grant is five years for development and cooperative arrangement grants and two years for renovation grants.

The average annual amount is:

• $800,000 for development grants;
• $900,000 for cooperative arrangement grants; and
• $2,000,000 for renovation grants.

ANNH does not require cost sharing or matching.

ANNH grantees are required to submit an interim performance report after the first six months of the grant. An annual performance report is due 90 days after each budget period ends.

Grantees that spend $500,000 or more in combined federal funds (regardless of agency) during fiscal years ending after December 31, 2003, or $300,000 or more in federal funds during fiscal years ended on December 31, 2003 or earlier, are required to have an annual institutional audit. Generally, these audits, referred to as "A-133 audits" or "single audits," review expenditures of federal funds across an entire organization instead of specific costs of individual grants. These audits must be conducted in accordance with "Standards for the Audit of Governmental Organizations, Programs, Activities and Functions," published by the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Independent non-federal auditors selected by the grantee may perform these audits. Grantees that fail to meet the A-133 audit requirement may be designated as high-risk, which may affect future funding.

• Increasing student retention and progression through college level courses by re-engineering student support services and supplemental instruction and providing enhanced faculty professional development;
• Building a student tracking system that includes an early alert module and faculty reporting module to improve the institution’s information technology systems and ability to track students;
• Strengthening assessment and integrating academic advising, academic support and academic enrichment under a new center;
• Strengthening student information systems including the development of early warning systems with training for faculty and administrators in the new system;
• Developing faculty development, including workshops in high impact pedagogies, technology, and instructional methods for teaching under-prepared students.

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