Graphic by Ellie Bruno
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In higher education, North Carolina has always ranked high nationally, but historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are an area where our state particularly shines; we have more students enrolled at HBCUs than any other state. There are 12 HBCUs in North Carolina, several of which are in the Triangle including NC Central, St. Augustine’s and Shaw University. To ensure these students and these schools succeed far into the future, they need support from the public and the government they are not currently receiving.
Shaw University was the first HBCU to open its doors in North Carolina and accomplished many other firsts by allowing Black women to enroll in classes and becoming the first HBCU to earn an “A” from the Department of Public Instruction. Several graduates of Shaw went on to found other schools across the state during the Reconstruction period. Shaw also created the first Black studies program in the US.
NC A&T in Greensboro also made a huge mark on history. It has always had a large student population, and today it is the largest HBCU nationwide. These students were instrumental in organizing nonviolent protests during the Civil Right movement. Four students from A&T courageously organized the sit-in at Woolworth’s lunch counter in 1960. Their actions reverberated across the country and contributed to the desegregation of businesses. The Civil Rights leader and first Black male candidate for president, Rev. Jesse Jackson, was also a graduate of the school.
These amazing things were accomplished in our state because of the unique, supportive environments offered by the schools for Black thought, culture and academic excellence.
There are many benefits to attending an HBCU. They are often a great deal with tuition that is on average 30% cheaper than other institutions. The lower cost of attending and special programs to encourage students who are struggling economically make HBCUs especially appealing to low-income students and first-generation students. While no school is perfect, the campuses are also full of familiar faces that can make the college experience less intimidating than in a predominantly white institution.
Today, North Carolina’s HBCUs are continuing their tradition of success. Enrollment increased across many of the colleges, with many students coming from out-of-state. North Carolina A&T’s engineering program is getting more recognition every year; their Black students earn more engineering degrees than any other college.
Despite the strengths of these schools, they still have lower 4-year graduation rates on average than other schools. This is most likely due to the high percentage of low-income students attending HBCUs, not a sign of poor academic performance. About 70% of HBCU students are Pell Grant eligible. Even with a Pell Grant and cheaper tuition, many students struggle to afford their degrees.
Historically, HBCUs have always been underfunded. Being founded during an era when the education of Black people was incredibly undervalued did not give their endowments a good starting place. The divide continues as the schools struggle to catch up without the help of the large, wealthy networks of alumni at many predominantly white institutions. Making matters worse, several schools in North Carolina lost money the General Assembly owed them.
North Carolina A&T has lost out on $2.8 billion in funding since 1987 as one of two federal land-grant schools in North Carolina, according to Forbes. Laws around land-grant colleges were developed in 1887; to receive the federal grants, states are required to budget for matching dollars. NC State is the state’s other federal land-grant school and has had far less trouble getting into the General Assembly budget.
In 2020, the General Assembly appropriated $79 million for research to NC State and only $9.5 million to NC A&T, which has roughly one-third of NC State’s student population but is not receiving a third of the dollars. As an NC State student, I know that our school has state-of-the-art labs and brilliant professors that will use that research money well, but how will NC A&T ever build up the same facilities with such unequal funding?
Another historically Black college in Greensboro, Bennett College, was at risk of losing accreditation in 2019 due to its dire financial situation. Bennett is one of the very few all-female HBCUs in the country. The only standards Bennett failed to meet of the Southern Association of Colleges were financial. Losing accreditation would have prevented any future federal funding or federal financial aid to Bennett students. Thanks to fundraising, Bennett is still around, but their situation may be precarious.
Some public companies are trying to do their part to correct the systemic challenges facing HBCUs. NC Central has received several large grants since 2020 from Intel, Blue Cross Blue Shield and even TikTok. The money will provide scholarships to students in need and help to build a diverse pool of talent the companies can draw from later.
There is still much to be done. As the members of the North Carolina General Assembly set about on their long session developing a new state budget this year, they must ensure that historically Black colleges get the piece of the pie they deserve.