Kimbrough says all HBCUs should be able to increase their enrollments in 2016-2017

Some defenders of the current Florida A&M administration aren’t bothered by the continuing enrollment decline because they don’t think the university is up-to-the-task of reversing it through the recruitment of high-achieving students. But the best historically black college and university (HBCU) presidents don’t accept that way of thinking at the schools they lead.

Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough said that even though HBCUs were hurt by the overhaul of the federal financial aid program in 2011, they all should be able to increase their enrollments in 2016-2017. He said one reason for this is that HBCUs have received increased interest from black students who are having second thoughts about predominantly white colleges in light of the racial incidents on some of those campuses.

Dillard is projecting that its enrollment will increase by 115 students in Fall 2016. FAMU projects a loss of 920 students in 2016-2017.

The Shreveport Times reported on Kimbrough’s comments:

Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough said all HBCUs should see an increase this upcoming school year because of the negative media surrounding race relations at predominately white institutions.

Though enrollment at Dillard has been down for several years, the liberal-arts institution projects a fall 2016 enrollment of 1,300 students — which would be an increase of 115 students.

"I expect to see an increase in HBCU enrollment throughout the nation," he said. "People are looking at HBCUs differently now. Do I want to go to school at a place where I might be in a hostile environment? University of Missouri had a national story about race relations.

"It's going to be harder for places to diversify their student body because of the negative things that have happened, and HBCUs have benefited from that…"

Kimbrough said enrollment numbers for HBCUs declined when the U.S. Department of Education changed the borrowing rules and credit standards associated with Parent Plus Loans for undergraduate students in 2011.

Before the changes were implemented, Kimbrough said parents were able to obtain a Parent Plus loan if they didn't have a bad credit history involving more than 90-day delinquencies, foreclosures and bankruptcies…