WASHINGTON, D.C., April 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UNCF (United Negro College Fund) today expressed strong support for President Biden’s budget legislation, which prioritized urgent needs for our country—with an emphasis on historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Today, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is defending the president’s budget before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. The budget funds federal programs, agencies and departments.
“The Biden-Harris administration budget for Fiscal Year 2025 is a strong document in all areas including education,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “The administration has heard our recommendations, moved on them, and if Congress follows suit, then our nation’s students and HBCUs will be stronger.”
“For three of the last four years, President Biden has made increasing support of HBCUs a number one priority, especially The Title III Strengthening HBCUs Program at the Department of Education,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, senior vice president for public policy and government affairs, UNCF. “These funding increasing along with the inclusion of HBCUs explicitly, again, in this year’s State of the Union Address represent the administration’s ongoing commitment to support HBCUs and help them achieve the progress necessary for them to continue to grow stronger, as UNCF’s upcoming economic impact report will reveal later this year.”
Programs slated for funding increases include:
Department Program Pres. Budget Difference +/- FY24
Education Strengthening HBCUs $431.6MM +$30MM
Education Strengthening HBGIs $108.5MM +$7.214MM
Education Title V HBCU Masters $21.3MM $1.07MM
Education Minority Sc. Eng. Program $16.4MM +$30,000
Education HBCU Cap. Fin. Program $20.7MM level funding
Education Pell Grant (maximum) $9,898 +$3,000
Education SEOG $910MM level funding
Education Federal Work Study $1.23B +$30MM
Education TRiO $1.211B +$20MM
Education GEAR UP $398MM +$10MM
Education Howard University $297MM -$7.018MM
HHS / NIH Nat’l Inst. on Min Health $527MM -$7.395MM
Defense HBCU MI Program $100MM -$1.467MM
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About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. While totaling only 3% of all colleges and universities, UNCF institutions and other historically Black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 15% of bachelor’s degrees, 5% of master’s degrees, 10% of doctoral degrees and 19% of all STEM degrees earned by Black students in higher education. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 50,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.
