Obama’s administration’s decision to cut $85 million from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) was insensitive, and will force these schools to raise its tuition and expenses. There should be an organized national protest and challenge from the African American leadership and community to express their displeasure and outrage with this decision. Based on the present economic conditions in the country, this $85 million program should have been increased, instead of being cut.
This two-year-old program started by the Bush administration provided direct funds to federally recognized HBCU. The HBCUs have depended on this funding and it has assisted the schools and students with financing. Cutting this federal aid will intensify the need for additional funding to help keep the doors open with many of these historic institutions.
There are 105 federally recognized HBCUs across the country. These schools make up 3 percent of US colleges, but account for nearly 40 percent of African American undergraduate degrees. HBCU have played a major role in our community, and presented access to opportunities to thousands of African American youth.
Many HBCUs have been hit particularly hard by the recession, and this is the wrong time to take money away from the schools. Historically, the federal government has a poor record with the treatment of funding with HBCU. The prevailing opinion was that the $85 million was long overdue and justified to historic institutions based the government’s poor record with financing.
Without this funding, many students will be forced to find other avenues for financing their college educations. With the credit market drying up, these students will not be able to afford or find financing for school.
Obama’s assistant secretary of education Carmel Martin at a press conference stated, “The administration is definitely committed to strengthening HBCUs and other colleges and universities that serve minority populations.” Based on this statement, it would appear that Obama’s administration would expand the present polices that support HBCU.
Instead, the administration is cutting the HBCU funding and the African American leadership is silent on this issue. There should be a movement to write the senators and congress people and demand a reinstatement of the $85 million program to HBCU schools and students. If Bush could find $85 million to help HBCUs, then I am certain that Obama can find $85 million to continue the program.
As a result of the recession, HBCUs will have to focus their energies on building financial support through alumni, corporate, foundations, and other sources of philanthropic endeavors. Fundraising has become a core initiative at all the institutions, and the focus will be on “Capacity Building.” In order to keep institutions financially viable the HBCUs will be forced to create different streams of income.
Traditionally, HBCUs have depended primarily on government financial support in order to survive. This model will change and self-determination will be pushed to the forefront. We can no longer depend and wait for the federal government to bail our institutions out of their financial dilemma.
It is important to keep the pressure on the government and demand better funding for HBCU. This must be a national collaborative movement that presents public forums and discourse about the conditions of the HBCUs across the country. There will be a better response from the government, when more organizations communicate, mobilize, and protest the cuts of the funding to the HBCUs.
Funding will continue to be a major problem and challenge for HBCUs. If Obama’s administration is committed to improving the plight of historic institutions, they should start by increasing the funding. These schools are struggling to survive and historically government funding has been terrible.
If Obama believes in supporting African American education, he will invest in our youth, re-establish the $85 million program started by Bush, and increase the funding to the program.
