SECTOR NEWS
A history of funding failures at Texas HBCUs
For more than a century, HBCUs have strived to serve, educate and provide a haven for Black students, often without the equivalent support that predominantly white institutions receive. Lesser funding, in some cases, has affected operations, hiring of faculty, programming and the quality of facilities.
“Almost all of their struggles go back to financial concerns,” said Melanye Price, an endowed professor and director of the Center for Race and Justice at Prairie View A&M University. “They’re not just these struggling places. They struggle because of financial reasons.” (Houston Chronicle)
Sen. Bernie Sanders proposes free tuition at public HBCUs
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a staunch advocate for free college and student loan cancellation, introduced new legislation today that could serve as the basis to reinvent the entire higher education system. With Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Sanders introduced the College For All Act. Sanders says it’s the largest investment in federal education in modern history and rivals the Higher Education Act of 1965. In effect, this plan is part student loan cancellation and part free college, since it would drastically reduce the amount of student loans and help future student loan borrowers. (Forbes)
How the SWAC title game moved to Jackson
Very few people were neutral on a decision by the SWAC to hold its football championship game at a neutral site.
The conference announced on Wednesday that it would be moving its football championship game to Jackson, Mississippi. The game, set to take place on May 1, will be played at a Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, home of Jackson State. Both SWAC East champion Alabama A&M and SWAC West champ Arkansas-Pine Bluff came into the week hoping to host the game. But then both programs saw their scheduled contests canceled due to COVID-19. (HBCU Gameday)
Maryland HBCU tech consortium launches with a $200K investment for Morgan State, Bowie State
Global research and development firm Battelle is investing $200K over two years to provide STEM research opportunities for students at Maryland’s Morgan State University and Bowie State University.
The investment is the first phase of a new Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Consortium from Battelle. Through the program, students from Prince George’s County-based Bowie State and Baltimore-based Morgan State will receive “externship” opportunities with Battelle scientists and engineers, as well as within the government programs that Battelle supports. (Technical.ly)
INDUSTRY NEWS
IRS and education could better address risks associated with for-profit college conversions (U.S. Government Accountability Office)
Pennsylvania freezes in-state tuition, announces DEI strategy (NorthCentralPA.com)
AGB: Top public policy issues for higher education (Association of Governing Boards)
How higher education can move from age segregation to integration (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
