Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have received significant investments over the past few years, but leaders of the nonpartisan, nonprofit United Negro College Fund are calling for more investment.
“HBCUs have been systematically and chronically underfunded since their founding,” said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., UNCF President and CEO. “The Biden-Harris administration’s efforts are helpful, but let us be clear: we need more effort through federal and state governments, as well as our philanthropic partners.”
Lomax believes the Biden-Harris administration will support HBCUs with more than $16 billion in investments, including funding through the administration's COVID-19 American Rescue Plan legislation and the Department of Education's HBCU Strengthening and Student Support-focused Pell Grant program. He said that they prioritized it to a level that cannot be compared to any other place.
Vice President Kamala Harris, an HBCU alumnus, said, “These historic investments range from funding cutting-edge research and long-overdue innovations to providing mental health resources and ensuring students have access to every opportunity to succeed. “It’s transformative,” he said. Howard University.
These efforts have a purpose, said Rodriguez Murray, UNCF's senior vice president for public policy and government affairs.
“The $16 billion in funding demonstrates the dual strategy also adopted by UNCF, putting institutions and students first,” Murray said. “Institutions need infrastructure funding, and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds need to double their Pell Grants. At UNCF, we want to work with everyone to ensure these results are achieved.”