provided over $4 billion in relief funding to HBCUs, including approximately $1.6 billion in debt relief to 45 HBCUs (13 public institutions and 32 private institu- tions) earlier this year. • FY 21 Grant Funding. The Department of Educa- tion awarded a total of $1 billion in FY21 to build the capacity of institutions that serve large numbers of stu- dents of color and low-income students. $500 million of this funding went directly to HBCUs. • FY 22 Budget Request. The President’s FY22 budget requests a total of $887 million for HBCU-specific funding in Higher Education Act (HEA) Title III funds—an increase of $247 million over last year’s level. Specifically, this would triple the mandatory Ti- tle III funding at the Department of Education— for a total of $252 million. Title III mandatory funds provide formula grants to all HBCUs to invest in capacity- building initiatives and student success programs. The President’s budget request also includes funding for research opportunities at HBCUs, labs, IT infrastruc- ture, and workforce development programs in STEM as well as DOJ funding for Violence Against Women Act programs at HBCUs among other priorities at other agencies. • Teacher Quality Funding. Through his FY 22 budget request and his Build Back Better plan, President Biden has proposed $60 million for the Augustus Hawkins Centers of Excellence Program to support teacher preparation programs at HBCUs and MSIs. • • Strengthening the White House Initiative on HBCUs • • In September, President Biden signed an Executive Order to reestablish the White House Initiative on Ad- vancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through HBCUs and issued a proclama- tion recognizing National HBCU Week. • The President’s Executive Order calls for a whole of government approach to help HBCUs respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to bolster HBCUs by improving their access to Federal procure- ment, grants, and other funding, particularly in areas of research and development. • The Order specifically directs senior officials in the Executive Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President to consult and collaborate with the Initiative on policy priorities for HBCUs. • Federal agencies must submit plans by February 1st of each year to describe how they are increasing HBCU access to Federal programs and improving Federal recruitment activities at HBCUs to build pathways into Federal employment. • During HBCU week, President Biden also named
Tony Allen, President of Delaware State University, as Chair of the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs. The Board, established by the Carter Administration, is meant to engage key stakeholders in fields such as education, business, and philanthropy to advance the goals of the HBCU Initiative.
Ensuring Continued Support for HBCUs through the Build Back Better Plan
• The President’s Build Back Better plan would provide tuition subsidies to students who attend HBCUs with a family income below $125,000. It would also provide free community college to students who attend one of the 11 HBCUs that are also community colleges. • Build Back Better also includes a $5 billion increase in funding for HEA Title III and Title V, which can be used by HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to strengthen their academic, administrative, and fiscal capabilities, includ- ing by creating or expanding educational programs in high-demand fields (e.g., STEM, computer sciences, nursing, and allied health). Build Back Better would di- rect an additional $2 billion toward building a pipeline of skilled health care workers with graduate degrees from HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. • Recognizing the historic underfunding of HBCUs and other institutions that serve large numbers of students of color, the President’s plan also would invest $40 billion in upgrading research infrastructure, half which would be reserved for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs. • The President also proposed creating a new national lab focused on climate that would be affiliated with an HBCU.
Vice President Harris committed to continuing the dialogue on issues of importance to the Council.
Part of the Biden-Harris Build Back Better Framework moved forward just before Thanksgiving. The $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law by President Biden on November 15, 2021. Vice President Harris invites the members of Kappa Alpha Psi to receive outreach and updates from her office by sign- ing up at http://wh.gov/ovp-ope-iga-signup.
THE JOURNAL ♦ FALL 2021 | 11
PUBLISHING ACHIEVEMENT FOR MORE THAN 110 YEARS
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker