Duncan proposes $98M boost for HBCU budget

After taking a firestorm of criticism for an earlier decision not to renew a multimillion dollar federal grant program for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the White House is now recommending a dramatic increase in funding for institutions founded to provide much-needed opportunities for African Americans.

During a recent appearance on TV One’s Washington Watch, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told host Roland Martin that he’s proposing a $98M boost in recurring, baseline federal appropriations for HBCUs. This comes in addition to plans to extend the $85M per year HBCU grants in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) for another ten years.

HBCU’s currently receive $233M in baseline federal funding per year. In September 2009, Duncan said he wanted to increase that amount by $50M. The current $98M increase figure represents a near doubling of that previous number.

In an early version of his budget proposal, U.S. President Barack Obama denied a request to renew the HBCU CCRAA grants. The funds are designed to help HBCUs with their “academic resources, management capabilities, and physical plants.” It appropriates a total of $85M per year toward this purpose.

However, Obama changed his position after hearing intense grumbling from the black blogosphere (Rattler Nation included) and passionate pleas from the prominent HBCU advocacy bodies such as the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, United Negro College Fund, and Tom Joyner Foundation.

As Rattler Nation reported in June 2009, FAMU stood to be the biggest loser if the HBCU CCRAA grant wasn’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.

Duncan said the proposed funding boost reflects the Obama administration’s belief that HBCUs are critical to America’s future.

“I said from day one we desperately need HBCUs not just to survive, but to thrive,” Duncan told Martin. “Half – half of our African-American teachers nationwide come out of HBCUs. That’s our pipeline. And so this is a huge commitment that the President is making… We’re going to make sure many more students can go through.”