Congress is notorious for being ridiculously polarized and dysfunctional, but there’s one issue that has aligned two parties together — America’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Representatives Alma S. Adams (D-NC) and Bradley Byrne (R-A) launched the Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus on Tuesday to rectify the decline of our beloved Black higher education institutions.
Congresswoman Adams has a soft spot for our nation’s HBCUs. Not only is she an alumnus of one, but she formerly served as a professor for an HBCU for 40 years. She knows firsthand about the importance and value of Black academies and its impact on underserved students.
“This bipartisan HBCU Caucus is bringing together champions for HBCUs, so that we can make an even bigger impact – to ensure their needs are heard in every aspect of policy making and across party lines. ” Adams said in a press release.
The Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus, approved by the House Administration Committee in the 114th Congress, will seek to address the unique hurdles that some Black academies are currently facing, including financial burdens, poor enrollment numbers, unequal government assistance, and shoddy leadership, according to Slate.
Congressman Byrne, joining Adams as co-chairman of the Caucus, stated his support for stabilizing our HBCUs: “Our nation’s HBCUs are evolving as they adapt to a changing workforce, and through this caucus, I look forward to helping guide the conversation about how we can best support our nation’s HBCUs.”
One of the first issues Adams and Thompson intend to tackle is Pell Grant funding. In 2011, according to Slate, the government decreased the number of semesters that students can use Pell Grants from 18 to 12 semesters.
“The change was significant for HBCU students, who take longer on average to finish, and, in turn, HBCUs themselves, which lost tuition revenue because the students couldn’t afford to keep attending,” Slate said.
About 85 percent of HBCU students rely on Pell Grants.
“HBCUs deal with many of the same challenges as other higher education institutions, but they also face unique obstacles that demand special attention,” Byrne said. “…I am proud to join with my colleague, Representative Alma Adams, to launch the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus.”
There are more than 100 HBCUs in the U.S. that enroll more than 300,000 students per year.
