Should make a small correction to this post. Just under 217,000 of the 287,000 students who attended HBCUs in 2021 were black. That means HBCUs educate a little over 11% of black college students.
Use this link if you want to do a deep dive into HBCU enrollment figures:
The funding of public HBCUs has been a sore spot in several places. The Biden Administration issued a report a couple of months ago that said 16 states have underfunded their HBCUs by $12.6 billion:
I'm not in a position to debate the numbers, but I've followed what happened in Maryland, one of the 16 states highlighted by Team Biden. A 15-year lawsuit over HBCU funding was settled in 2021:
The lawsuit was fought during the tenures of governors from both parties (Martin O'Malley, Larry Hogan).
More recently, the Maryland Higher Education Commission denied applications from Johns Hopkins University and Stetson University to start new physical therapy doctoral programs that would have competed with programs at two HBCUs, the University of Maryland at Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland, Baltimore:
The Maryland Higher Education Commission voted to deny proposed physical therapy doctoral programs at the Johns Hopkins University and Stevenson University due to their similarity to existing programs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
In letters sent to each university Sept. 21, Commission Chair Cassie Motz said the decision was based on concerns that the proposed programs are “unreasonably duplicative of existing [doctorate of physical therapy] programs in Maryland and will cause demonstrable harm” to UMB and UMES, which is one of the state’s four historically Black colleges and universities.
The commission, which is tasked with overseeing the state’s 55 colleges and universities, also said that after examining the employer market for graduates of a DPT program, they found that adding programs would hinder faculty and student recruitment at both UMES and UMB.
This was a decision that many people thought was anti-competitive and ultimately bad for Maryland.
Funding aside, HBCU enrollment numbers have been cyclical over the years. Here's an excerpt from an NCES post that illustrates the point:
In 2021, there were 99 HBCUs located in 19 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of the 99 HBCUs, 50 were public institutions and 49 were private nonprofit institutions (source). The number of HBCU students increased by 47 percent (from 223,000 to 327,000 students) between 1976 and 2010, then decreased by 12 percent (to 287,000 students) between 2010 and 2021 (source). In comparison, the number of students in all degree-granting institutions increased 91 percent (from 11 million to 21 million students) between 1976 and 2010, then decreased 11 percent (to 19 million students) between 2010 and 2021 (source).
Although HBCUs were originally founded to educate Black students, they enroll students of other races as well. The composition of HBCUs has changed over time. In 2021, non-Black students made up 25 percent of enrollment at HBCUs, compared with 15 percent in 1976 (source).1
While Black enrollment at HBCUs increased by 14 percent between 1976 and 2021, the total number of Black students enrolled in all degree-granting postsecondary institutions (both HBCUs and non-HBCUs) more than doubled during this period. As a result, the percentage of Black students enrolled at HBCUs fell from 18 percent in 1976 to 8 percent in 2014 and then increased to 9 percent in 2021. (source, source, and source).
This link provides access to annual enrollment numbers going back to 1976:
There's no doubt that interest in HBCUs has been rising, but there are legitimate questions about whether the leaders of these schools should gear up for more students at a time when the economy could tip into recession over the next 12-24 months or if they should shore up their facilities and endowments. Student protests at Howard a couple of years ago over housing conditions illustrate the dilemma:
The Biden administration demanded governors in 16 states address a more than $12 billion funding disparity between land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their non-HBCU counterparts, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
In joint letters sent to the governors of each state Monday, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack noted that HBCUs have “not been able to advance in ways that are on par” with other land-grant institutions in those states “in large part due to unbalanced funding.”
A land-grant institution is a college or university that provides education in the fields of agriculture, science, military science and engineering. The schools were also built on federal land or funded with proceeds from the sale of federal land that was granted to state governments. By law, according to the USDA, these schools and their HBCU counterparts “were required to receive equitable distribution” of funds from their state governments.
The push for correcting funding came from Democrats, not Conservatives. Black Democrats in Congress formed a committee to focus on HBCUs. Increased funding will help expand the HBCUs at a time when applications are increasing. The funding will help serve more students.
Edit to add:
This exchange reminds me why it is difficult to have conversations with Conservatives. I state that Trump lied about his role in HBCU funding. You argue the numbers of Black students at HBCUs. My counter is that the numbers would be higher if HBCU funding were increased.
Your next argument is that MD Governors of both parties blocked HBCU funding. My counter is that Black Democratic legislators did not stop putting pressure to change things.
I stand by my initial point that Trump lied about his role in HBCU funding. Black Democrats in Congress and state legislatures pushed for change.
Let's stipulate, for the sake of argument, that Team Biden's numbers are right. If so, the issue developed over the course of 30 years in 16 states. Conservatives didn't have exclusive control of those states during that period.
Let's do a drill down on Maryland. Democrats had better than 2:1 majorities in both houses of Maryland's state legislature while Martin O'Malley was governor according to the Wikipedia:
They could have resolved the issue without any help from Republicans. The fact that the case wasn't settled until Larry Hogan's watch suggests that the issue transcends party.
Land grant colleges were mostly a Southern phenomenon. If you look at the majority of states involved, and the time period, it is harder to argue Conservative legislatures weren’t an issue.
Nothing you post challenges my statement about Trump and Conservatives. You are admitting they had a bad record.
Edit to add:
A Democratic MD Governor did not fund HBCUs. Black Democrats keep pressing and were eventually successful. The Woke won. Nothing in the outcome suggests a reason to support a Conservative.
We see the world differently. HBCUs are important, but they only educate 10-15% of black college students, a group that represents less than 5% of Black America. Arguments about which party shortchanged half of HBCUs (The other half are private institutions) are small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. I'd much rather see black leaders focused on the economy, K-12 education, making cities more affordable and more livable, strengthening families, immigration, trade policy, crime, and other issues that are more impactful.
Should make a small correction to this post. Just under 217,000 of the 287,000 students who attended HBCUs in 2021 were black. That means HBCUs educate a little over 11% of black college students.
Use this link if you want to do a deep dive into HBCU enrollment figures:
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_313.20.asp
The numbers for black students enrolled at HBCUs are in the bottom half of the table.
HBCUs have their growth limited by chronic underfunding.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/government/2023/09/20/states-underfunded-black-land-grants-13b-over-30-years
Tennessee State University was penalized for accepting too many students
https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/orea/advanced-search/2023/TSUFullReport.pdf
Tennessee State has been historically underfunded
https://www.claiborneprogress.net/2023/09/26/report-says-tennessee-state-has-been-historically-underfunded/
Black student applications to HNCUs are increasing
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2023/02/18/more-students-apply-historic-black-colleges-and-universities/11155356002/
The point of my post is that Trump and Conservatives lie about their role in funding HBCUs
The funding of public HBCUs has been a sore spot in several places. The Biden Administration issued a report a couple of months ago that said 16 states have underfunded their HBCUs by $12.6 billion:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/09/18/hbcu-land-grant-funding-disparities/
I'm not in a position to debate the numbers, but I've followed what happened in Maryland, one of the 16 states highlighted by Team Biden. A 15-year lawsuit over HBCU funding was settled in 2021:
https://news.yahoo.com/maryland-finalizes-577m-settlement-hbcu-144902534.html
The lawsuit was fought during the tenures of governors from both parties (Martin O'Malley, Larry Hogan).
More recently, the Maryland Higher Education Commission denied applications from Johns Hopkins University and Stetson University to start new physical therapy doctoral programs that would have competed with programs at two HBCUs, the University of Maryland at Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland, Baltimore:
https://www.baltimoresun.com/education/bs-md-hbcu-degree-programs-hopkins-stevenson-universities-20230928-5t5ajcuys5dgridekfjgcflgzm-story.html
Here's an excerpt:
The Maryland Higher Education Commission voted to deny proposed physical therapy doctoral programs at the Johns Hopkins University and Stevenson University due to their similarity to existing programs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
In letters sent to each university Sept. 21, Commission Chair Cassie Motz said the decision was based on concerns that the proposed programs are “unreasonably duplicative of existing [doctorate of physical therapy] programs in Maryland and will cause demonstrable harm” to UMB and UMES, which is one of the state’s four historically Black colleges and universities.
The commission, which is tasked with overseeing the state’s 55 colleges and universities, also said that after examining the employer market for graduates of a DPT program, they found that adding programs would hinder faculty and student recruitment at both UMES and UMB.
This was a decision that many people thought was anti-competitive and ultimately bad for Maryland.
Funding aside, HBCU enrollment numbers have been cyclical over the years. Here's an excerpt from an NCES post that illustrates the point:
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=667
In 2021, there were 99 HBCUs located in 19 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of the 99 HBCUs, 50 were public institutions and 49 were private nonprofit institutions (source). The number of HBCU students increased by 47 percent (from 223,000 to 327,000 students) between 1976 and 2010, then decreased by 12 percent (to 287,000 students) between 2010 and 2021 (source). In comparison, the number of students in all degree-granting institutions increased 91 percent (from 11 million to 21 million students) between 1976 and 2010, then decreased 11 percent (to 19 million students) between 2010 and 2021 (source).
Although HBCUs were originally founded to educate Black students, they enroll students of other races as well. The composition of HBCUs has changed over time. In 2021, non-Black students made up 25 percent of enrollment at HBCUs, compared with 15 percent in 1976 (source).1
While Black enrollment at HBCUs increased by 14 percent between 1976 and 2021, the total number of Black students enrolled in all degree-granting postsecondary institutions (both HBCUs and non-HBCUs) more than doubled during this period. As a result, the percentage of Black students enrolled at HBCUs fell from 18 percent in 1976 to 8 percent in 2014 and then increased to 9 percent in 2021. (source, source, and source).
This link provides access to annual enrollment numbers going back to 1976:
https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d22/tables/dt22_313.20.asp
There's no doubt that interest in HBCUs has been rising, but there are legitimate questions about whether the leaders of these schools should gear up for more students at a time when the economy could tip into recession over the next 12-24 months or if they should shore up their facilities and endowments. Student protests at Howard a couple of years ago over housing conditions illustrate the dilemma:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/15/us/howard-protests-housing-agreement-reached/index.html
Similar protests were held at Atlanta-based HBCUs in 2021 as well:
https://thegrio.com/2021/10/20/atlanta-hbcu-students-protest-sleep-in-tents-for-better-campus-conditions/
To make a long story short, the HBCU backstory is complicated.
I’m aware of the situation. My post was about Trump lying.
Blacks fought for HBCU financial support. Blacks are not the helpless individuals portrayed by Conservatives.
Black Democratic state legislators in Maryland applied the pressure. I didn’t see much Conservative support.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/hbcu-advocates-wage-campaign-to-end-maryland-lawsuit/2019/11/13/6514ee00-017d-11ea-8bab-0fc209e065a8_story.html
Biden said 16 states should address the issue.
The Biden administration demanded governors in 16 states address a more than $12 billion funding disparity between land-grant Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their non-HBCU counterparts, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
In joint letters sent to the governors of each state Monday, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack noted that HBCUs have “not been able to advance in ways that are on par” with other land-grant institutions in those states “in large part due to unbalanced funding.”
A land-grant institution is a college or university that provides education in the fields of agriculture, science, military science and engineering. The schools were also built on federal land or funded with proceeds from the sale of federal land that was granted to state governments. By law, according to the USDA, these schools and their HBCU counterparts “were required to receive equitable distribution” of funds from their state governments.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/19/us/biden-administration-urges-equitable-hbcu-funding-reaj/index.html
The push for correcting funding came from Democrats, not Conservatives. Black Democrats in Congress formed a committee to focus on HBCUs. Increased funding will help expand the HBCUs at a time when applications are increasing. The funding will help serve more students.
Edit to add:
This exchange reminds me why it is difficult to have conversations with Conservatives. I state that Trump lied about his role in HBCU funding. You argue the numbers of Black students at HBCUs. My counter is that the numbers would be higher if HBCU funding were increased.
Your next argument is that MD Governors of both parties blocked HBCU funding. My counter is that Black Democratic legislators did not stop putting pressure to change things.
I stand by my initial point that Trump lied about his role in HBCU funding. Black Democrats in Congress and state legislatures pushed for change.
Let's stipulate, for the sake of argument, that Team Biden's numbers are right. If so, the issue developed over the course of 30 years in 16 states. Conservatives didn't have exclusive control of those states during that period.
Let's do a drill down on Maryland. Democrats had better than 2:1 majorities in both houses of Maryland's state legislature while Martin O'Malley was governor according to the Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_Maryland#1851%E2%80%93present
They could have resolved the issue without any help from Republicans. The fact that the case wasn't settled until Larry Hogan's watch suggests that the issue transcends party.
Land grant colleges were mostly a Southern phenomenon. If you look at the majority of states involved, and the time period, it is harder to argue Conservative legislatures weren’t an issue.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2022/02/01/for-hbcus-cheated-out-of-billions-bomb-threats-are-latest-indignity/?sh=74d8419d640c
Nothing you post challenges my statement about Trump and Conservatives. You are admitting they had a bad record.
Edit to add:
A Democratic MD Governor did not fund HBCUs. Black Democrats keep pressing and were eventually successful. The Woke won. Nothing in the outcome suggests a reason to support a Conservative.
Thanks for the exchange.
We see the world differently. HBCUs are important, but they only educate 10-15% of black college students, a group that represents less than 5% of Black America. Arguments about which party shortchanged half of HBCUs (The other half are private institutions) are small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. I'd much rather see black leaders focused on the economy, K-12 education, making cities more affordable and more livable, strengthening families, immigration, trade policy, crime, and other issues that are more impactful.