HBCU Week celebrates the impactful legacy of HBCUs. The National HBCU Week Conference was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 15-19, 2024.
On September 16, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced more federal investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) which total $1.3 billion. These additional investments, combined with the previously announced $16 billion in total federal investments in HBCUs, indicate that the Biden-Harris Administration set another record of more than $17 billion in federal investments in HBCUs from 2021 through the present, according to information released by the White House.
“Over the last three years, the Biden-Harris administration has made an unprecedented investment in our nation’s HBCUs, and this time, more than $16 billion has been allocated to HBCUs. For clarity, that is more than any other administration in the history of our nation,” said Dr. Dietra Trent, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs during a press call.
She further explained that the money has been used for numerous things, including keeping students enrolled during COVID-19, infrastructure updates, and research and development funding. Specifically, Dr. Trent pointed out that The Department of Education announced nearly $15 million in new grants under the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program to increase and retain the next generation of teachers who attend HBCUs, and who serve at the nation’s most underserved elementary and secondary schools.
“These new awards include four HBCU grantees across four states (Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas), receiving a total of $1.6 million in funding. This brings the total investment in Hawkins to $38 million under the Biden-Harris administration, which is the first administration to secure funding for the Hawkins program,” according to information provided by the White House.
“It is notable to say that we are the first administration to fund the Hawkins grant awards, which further underscores the dedication this administration has to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Dr. Trent added.
Additionally, nearly $2.3 million in new grant awards was announced by The Department of Education for the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program. The purpose of it is to strengthen science and engineering education programs and reduce barriers to STEM career entry for students of color and women. HBCU grantees in Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina will reportedly receive over $1 million in funding.
Dr. Tony Allen, Chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and the president of Delaware State University, stated that The United Negro College Fund continues to report that the single greatest indicator for low-resource African American entering the American middle class is their attendance at historically Black college and universities.
“I think you all know we only represent 3% of all colleges and universities in the country, but we’re still producing nearly 20% of all Black graduates; and on every indicator, whether it be 50% of all Black teachers having started at an HBCU; 70% of all Black lawyers and judges started at an HBCU; over 80% of all Black physicians started at an HBCU; 40% of all STEM professionals of color started at an HBCU. We significantly punch above our weight,” Dr. Allen added.
Other noted additional federal investments in HBCUs that were announced included $188 million in competitive grants to HBCUs through the Department of Education, including grants that will support R&D capacity building, and $1.1 billion in funding to support students at HBCUs directly through need-based grants and other federal programs, that include Pell Grants.
Many more announcements were made, including The Department of Transportation’s announcement that Prairie View A&M University in Texas will be the first-ever HBCU to lead a University Transportation Center.
President Joe Biden took the stage at the National HBCU Week Conference to provide remarks about his Administration’s support of HBCU’s.
“Together, Kamala and I know that an education makes a person free. HBCU’s education makes you fearless as well. It matters. I mean it. More than 180 years born under the shadow of slavery and Jim Crow, HBCUs have instilled a sense of purpose and freedom; a commitment to make a difference for all their students to lift up, not just yourselves, but others along the way. Institutions grounded in the belief that every American of every race; and every background, every zip code, and you know me, I mean this, should have a fair and equal chance to go as far as their God-given talents can take them. That’s who we are. That’s what we stand for,” President Biden said.