Lawson did a lot for FAMU in his six years in Washington

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Congressman Al Lawson, a FAMU grad, who for six-years represented a North Florida district in Washington that stretched from Tallahassee to Jacksonville will end his 34-year career in public office today.   Lawson lost his reelection bid after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis forced the Florida Legislature to redraw his minority access district in a controversial redistricting process that will likely face court scrutiny later this year. 
 

Lawson brokered $116 million deal
to forgive FAMU Housing loans.

During his six years in Washington, Lawson helped engineer a deal that discharged the more than $116 million in FAMU federal debt that FAMU had acquired through the HBCU Capital Finance Program.  The university used the loan to construct the new FAMU Towers (residence hall) complex and refinance the debt on the new Polkinghorne Village.  Because of Lawson, FAMU's housing system is now largely debt free.
 
Lawson ensured that FAMU was included into a $1.3 billon pandemic relief package that provided relief to 45 HBCUs –13 public and 32 private – that had outstanding federal loans.
 
“This debt forgiveness is nothing short of transformational for HBCUs,” said Dr. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF.
 
Lawson is a longtime advocate for FAMU, the University’s 10,000 seat multipurpose teaching gym bears his name. 

Lawson also helped send more than $195 million in pandemic relief funds to FAMU in the form of CARES/HEERF/HBCU grants which the university used to forgive $16 million in student debt and is now using the remaining portion to purchase nearby properties.

When a new session of Congress is sworn in tomorrow FAMU and Tallahassee will be without a passionate local advocate. 

Editors note:  FAMU borrowed $126 million from the HBCU Capital Finance Program, but initially had only $111 million of the loan forgiven because the university had not drawn down all of its loan money.  After some last minute wrangling the university was able to get another $5 million in debt forgiven to bring the total amount forgiven to $116 million.