WASHINGTON, DC (May 6, 2021) – The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) commends the introduction of the bipartisan Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for (IGNITE) HBCU Excellence Act.
The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, which is co-sponsored by each of the co-chairs of the bipartisan HBCU Caucus, Representative Alma Adams (D-NC), Representative French Hill (R-AR), Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), seeks to address the historic underfunding of facilities and other infrastructure at HBCUs by making targeted investments in these life-changing institutions.
The bill provides needed funding for HBCUs to renovate, repair, modernize or construct new campus facilities, including for instructional, research, and residential purposes; preserve buildings with historic significance; address significant deferred maintenance issues, ensure the resilience, safety, and sustainability of campus facilities; provide access to campus-wide, reliable high-speed broadband to support digital learning and long-term technological capacity; and procure equipment and technology to facilitate high-quality research and instruction.
“The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act has the potential to be literally transformative legislation for HBCUs,” said TMCF President and CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams. “By passing the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act, Congress will be making an affirmative statement that HBCUs and their students deserve the same state-of-the-art facilities, whether classrooms, laboratories or library facilities, that students at peer institutions have the benefit of and that HBCU students have long been deprived of due to decades of underfunding. In order for our nation to reach its full potential, we must strategically invest in and equitably support each and every post-secondary student population to help ensure that our nation has the workforce capable of meeting tomorrow’s challenges. This legislation is a smart investment to maintain our nation’s global competitiveness and we urge Congress to pass The IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act this year.”
TMCF looks forward to working with Congressional leadership, the Congressional Black Caucus, the bipartisan HBCU Caucus and all of our allies on both sides of the aisle to help pass this monumental piece of legislation.
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ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org.
Media Contact:
tmcfpress@tmcf.org
