Sen. Doug Jones: Fighting for our HBCUs

by Sen. Doug Jones


Right now Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions across the country are facing a disastrous financial cliff, all because the Senate has failed to renew $255 million in federal funding for these schools.

Federal funding for HBCUs shouldn’t be caught in the political winds and left to expire because of partisan disagreements. These colleges and universities should be consistently and appropriately funded.

Every day that passes without a funding renewal, these schools are one day closer to having to make tough decisions that could do permanent damage – including laying off staff, letting contracts expire, and winding down programs that serve students in STEM and other fields.

My bill, the FUTURE Act, would renew this funding for an additional two years and give the Senate time to find a permanent fix. It’s bipartisan. It’s paid for. And it has already passed the House of Representatives unanimously.

Read more: https://www.alreporter.com/2019/11/11/opinion-fighting-for-our-hbcus/