A prominent FAMU dad is calling on U.S. President Barack Obama to renew an $85M per year federal grant that is set to expire soon.
Nationally syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner, father of FAMU alumnus Oscar Joyner, wants Obama to renew the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA). CCRAA funds historically black colleges and universities with money to help their “academic resources, management capabilities, and physical plants.”
As Rattler Nation reported in June, FAMU is set to be the biggest loser if the grant isn’t extended. In 2008, FAMU netted the largest HBCU CCRAA grant: $2,002,165. FAMU is using the money to upgrade Enterprise Resource Technology, library multimedia, and instructional technology.
From Joyner’s open letter to the president:
Mr. President, I have been a major supporter of yours from the start because I believed you were the best person for the job because I never dreamed in my lifetime that this would happen. You've been doing an amazing job considering that you took over the country at a time when so much is happening. But I do have a concern about one of your recent decisions. I'm calling on you to listen to the tens of thousands of alumni, faculty, administration and students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who want you to seriously reconsider your changes to the 2010 federal budget. We want you to extend the $85 million that was included in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 and is slated to expire in 2009.
I realize you're dealing with a budget that's in the trillions of dollars, but let me tell you, as a long time supporter and cheerleader for black colleges, literally every single dollar helps to keep their doors open at these institutions. This $85 million is absolutely crucial for many of the colleges to make sure every student attending these schools have the best infrastructure possible. That means these schools need the direct funds that the federal government has allocated since 2007 to help provide comfortable dormitories, fully furnished classrooms, research labs, libraries and so many things that contribute to these students getting a quality education. The fact is the funding for many HBCUs eligible to receive federal funds has not kept pace with the increasing needs for the institutions.
I've been reading about how you and Secretary [Arne] Duncan are increasing the amount of money for PELL Grants, which means more students may be able to get sorely needed dollars to attend college. That's what my Foundation has been doing for the past 11 years, and the more help these students get to stay in school the better. Don't hesitate one minute in providing those funds, but, Mr. President, you can't have it both ways. If you cut funding that directly affects the operations of these HBCUs, then some of these schools may not be around to educate the students receiving those PELL grants.
So, I ask you, Mr. President, restore that $85 million today! This small amount is the kind of investment that will truly impact the lives of thousands of black men and women who will end up helping you bring about the change you talked about during your campaign.
Read the full text here.
Nationally syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner, father of FAMU alumnus Oscar Joyner, wants Obama to renew the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA). CCRAA funds historically black colleges and universities with money to help their “academic resources, management capabilities, and physical plants.”
As Rattler Nation reported in June, FAMU is set to be the biggest loser if the grant isn’t extended. In 2008, FAMU netted the largest HBCU CCRAA grant: $2,002,165. FAMU is using the money to upgrade Enterprise Resource Technology, library multimedia, and instructional technology.
From Joyner’s open letter to the president:
Mr. President, I have been a major supporter of yours from the start because I believed you were the best person for the job because I never dreamed in my lifetime that this would happen. You've been doing an amazing job considering that you took over the country at a time when so much is happening. But I do have a concern about one of your recent decisions. I'm calling on you to listen to the tens of thousands of alumni, faculty, administration and students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who want you to seriously reconsider your changes to the 2010 federal budget. We want you to extend the $85 million that was included in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 and is slated to expire in 2009.
I realize you're dealing with a budget that's in the trillions of dollars, but let me tell you, as a long time supporter and cheerleader for black colleges, literally every single dollar helps to keep their doors open at these institutions. This $85 million is absolutely crucial for many of the colleges to make sure every student attending these schools have the best infrastructure possible. That means these schools need the direct funds that the federal government has allocated since 2007 to help provide comfortable dormitories, fully furnished classrooms, research labs, libraries and so many things that contribute to these students getting a quality education. The fact is the funding for many HBCUs eligible to receive federal funds has not kept pace with the increasing needs for the institutions.
I've been reading about how you and Secretary [Arne] Duncan are increasing the amount of money for PELL Grants, which means more students may be able to get sorely needed dollars to attend college. That's what my Foundation has been doing for the past 11 years, and the more help these students get to stay in school the better. Don't hesitate one minute in providing those funds, but, Mr. President, you can't have it both ways. If you cut funding that directly affects the operations of these HBCUs, then some of these schools may not be around to educate the students receiving those PELL grants.
So, I ask you, Mr. President, restore that $85 million today! This small amount is the kind of investment that will truly impact the lives of thousands of black men and women who will end up helping you bring about the change you talked about during your campaign.
Read the full text here.