They often receive inequitable state and federal funding and are often under-resourced and under-supported. Despite their uphill battle, new research details that historically Black colleges and universities have had a positive economic impact on the nation.
The United Negro College Fund, or UNCF, published the 88-page report Tuesday outlining the considerable return-on-Investment (ROI) of Black colleges throughout the country.
The findings of the report were announced during a UNCF briefing on Capitol Hill that included a panel of presidents from various HBCUs.
“The intended audience is the entire country, not just HBCUs and HBCU stakeholders,” said Dr. Brian Bridges, vice president of research and member engagement at UNCF. Dr. Michael Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF, said that the report provided HBCUs an opportunity to share their economic impact with a broader audience.
The report, titled “HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” comes at a time when the federal government has decreased its support for HBCUs, according to experts.
UNCF hopes that its report will counter existing narratives about the declining legitimacy of HBCUs in the national landscape.
“I’ve been at this business for over half a century, so I had a sense that HBCUs had an economic impact, and that story wasn’t being told very well,” Lomax said.
