*California Democratic Senator Kamala Harris has been a longtime advocate for HBCUs, and thanks to her efforts, Historically Black Colleges and Universities are poised to get a boost in federal funding.
Harris, along with Alabama Democratic Senator Doug Jones, requested the HBCU funding increase in a letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.
In the Senate’s latest spending bill, funding for HBCUs increased by 14 percent to $279.6 million for 2018.
“HBCUs are critical to the foundation of our higher education system, and provide opportunities for some of the nation’s most promising and deserving students,” Harris (D-Calif.) said in a press release. “I am pleased funds in this bipartisan budget agreement will be invested in the future of these young people. Ensuring HBCUs have the federal support and resources they need to thrive for generations to come is one of my top priorities as a proud HBCU graduate.”
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Tessa Thompson Added to ‘Men in Black’ Spinoff; ‘Atlanta’s’ Zazie Beetz Joins Armie Hammer Thriller
My advice to Black girls everywhere: whenever you find yourself in a room where there aren’t a lot of people who look like you — be it a classroom, or a boardroom, or a courtroom — remember that you have an entire community in that room with you, all of us cheering you on. pic.twitter.com/cFCV3pK2hH
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) March 18, 2018
Historically Black graduate schools will also increase funding in the Senate’s latest spending bill.
“Alabama’s fifteen Historically Black Colleges and Universities are integral to our world-class university system,” Jones (D-Ala.) said in a statement. “Despite enrolling roughly 300,000 students each year nationwide, HBCUs have faced significant funding challenges, with some even forced to close their doors.”
As part of the Senate bill, historically Black graduate institutions will also receive a 14-percent funding increase, from $63.3 million to $72.3 million. Also, other majority-Black institutions will receive a raise from $9.9 million to $11.4 million.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
