President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have pledged more than $16 billion to HBCUs in America. On Thursday (May 16), the Biden-Harris Administration announced a new record in Federal funding and investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
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The unprecedented pledge totals more than 1$16 billion from Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 through 2024. It’s reported that the new total is up from the previously announced over $7 billion and follows “additional actions already undertaken” by the Biden-Harris Administration for HBCUs in America.
When broken out, the Biden-Harris Administration says the $16 billion-plus pledge “includes over $11.4 billion between FY 2021 and FY 2023 through Federal grants, contracting awards, and debt relief for HBCUs; $4 billion between FY 2021 and FY 2023 for HBCU-enrolled students through federal financial aid and educational benefits for veterans; and so far in FY 2024, over $900 million has been secured for Department of Education programs strengthening HBCUs as institutions.”
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The Biden-Harris Administration adds that they are still committed, with “full momentum,” to ensuring “whole-of-government investment efforts in HBCUs” through the remainder of FY 2024.
Joe Biden has since taken to his X account (formerly Twitter) to speak on the $16 billion pledge to HBCUs. He wrote, “HBCUs are responsible for: 40% of Black engineers, 50% of all Black teachers,70% of all Black doctors and dentists, and 80% of all Black judges. Today I am proud to announce we’ve invested over $16 billion in HBCUs, the most ever by any Administration.”
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Following Joe Biden’s announcement on the “unprecedented” $16 billion pledged to America’s HBCUs, Kamala Harris stated, “As a proud graduate of Howard University, I know firsthand that our HBCUs are centers of academic excellence. For generations, these anchors of our communities have played a pivotal role in building and contributing to America’s leadership at home and abroad.”
She continued, “Today, graduates from our Nation’s more than 100 HBCUs are in every room where important decisions are made – leading in our schools, hospitals, courtrooms, boardrooms, and at the highest levels of government. And as we look forward, we know that our HBCUs will continue to prepare young leaders to build a better, more just future for our country and the world.”
Kamala Harris added, “That is why President Biden and I have delivered an unprecedented $16 billion to our Nation’s HBCUs. This historic investment is transformative – from helping to fund cutting-edge research and making long-overdue renovations to providing mental health resources and ensuring students have access to every opportunity to thrive. We have also delivered the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade as we work to make higher education more affordable. I have witnessed the direct impact of these record investments while meeting with thousands of HBCU students as Vice President, including during my Fight for Our Freedoms college tour last fall.”
She concluded, “President Biden and I remain committed to using every lever available to support HBCUs and the students and communities they serve. We know that when we invest in the success of our HBCUs, we are investing in the strength of our Nation – today and for generations to come.”
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