“No presidential administration in our nation’s history has been more intentional about investing in HBCUs than the Biden administration.
Over the course of the past three-and-a-half years, through the work of the Biden administration with the support of Congress, HBCUs have seen tremendous progress as it relates to increases in Title III discretionary funding, which supports capacity building efforts at HBCUs. Additionally, the Biden administration has consistently requested significant increases in the president’s recommended budgets for all student aid programs including the Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study and the Federal Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). Increases in these programs, while benefiting low-income students regardless of where they attend, have an outsized impact on HBCUs, who specialize in serving students with high levels of financial need.
In regards to research investment, the administration is to be specifically applauded for making history by awarding the first-ever University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) to Howard University in 2023 and for developing and advocating for the HBCU MSI Research and Development Infrastructure fund, which has invested $50 million dollars each of the last two years into the research infrastructure at HBCUs and minority serving institutions. The administration is also to be lauded for its engagement on the issue of the historic underfunding of our publicly supported HBCUs at a state level, which is a problem most acute at, but not unique to, our 1890 Land-Grant institutions.
All of these accomplishments and highlights as president are predated by his support of the only HBCU in his home-state of Delaware, Delaware State University, where the students served as his earliest volunteers during his first statewide campaign in 1972. As the former president of Delaware State, I can attest that the legacy and impact of President Biden will be felt on that campus for generations to come.
Thank you, President Biden, for your five decades of service to your country and for being an ally and friend to HBCUs all along the way. We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden administration over the next six months to continue the progress we have made thus far for HBCUs and the students they serve.”
About Thurgood Marshall College Fund
Established in 1987, 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.
