The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination of universities that receiving contracts of federal money. It established affirmative action programs which ended discrimination in admissions, financial aid, and housing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964
The Morrll Land Grant Act of 1862 provided federal funding to establish land grant colleges that emphasized the applied sciences and the mechanic arts (also known as A&M universities). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrill_Land-Grant_Colleges_Act