On Tuesday, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 2486, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act.
The legislation would allow historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to continue receiving $255 million of critical annual government funding to improve academic quality and ensure their financial stability.
Additionally, the focus of the funding would be to maintain and improve various programs within high demand fields and majors such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The funding under Title III, which has been administered by the Department of Education since 2008, is set to expire at the end of September.
HBCUs represent 8.5 percent of the four-year institutions across the 21 states and territories they are located in. On average, they also enroll 24 percent of all Black undergraduates pursuing a bachelor’s degree in a college or university, graduate 26 percent of all Black bachelor’s degree recipients and award 32 percent of STEM degrees to Black students, according to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
At the White House Initiative’s HBCUs Conference last week, President Donald J. Trump praised and acknowledged the impact of HBCUs.
“For more than 180 years, HBCUs have strengthened our country and called America to greatness,” he said. “This nation owes a profound and enduring debt of gratitude to its HBCUs.”
