Information reporting at traditionally black colleges and universities was reviewed, based on the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS) files for 36 institutions. The objective was to determine the quality of the data submitted by seven of these institutions, and to suggest actions for improving the quality of the HEGIS information so that it will be more supportive of the historically black institutions. The Information Services Project of the Center for Higher Education Management Systems field tested the utility of HEGIS data. It was found that there was widespread misunderstanding of reporting conventions for financial and student data in particular. The major comparability question was that land-grant and non-land-grant institutions were intermingled, leading to a distorted reviews/expenditures index. In regard to policy relevance, most institutions felt that the time lag precluded usefulness in planning (i.e., HEGIS data is 24 months out of date). Recommendations include the following: personnel responsible for campus reporting should advise the president and other administrators of the uses to which HEGIS data are being put; the reports coordinator should carefully review HEGIS reports to ensure that they conform to the latest guidelines and definitions manuals; and university presidents should continually challenge the validity of decisions and recommendations made concerning their institutions on the basis of HEGIS file data. Examples of uses being made of the HEGIS data file are cited, and attention is directed to overall concerns related to validity, accuracy, and comparability of data. (SW)