Grambling State was the latest of the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) to uneasily bare its empty wallet on our public streets the last few weeks. The storied Northern Louisiana HBCU’s financial troubles came to our national attention when its football players staged a nearly weeklong boycott. The firing of head coach Doug Williams, the school’s rundown facilities and long bus trips prompted the student-athletes to boycott practices and the October 20 game at Jackson State. They returned to practice last week and played on Saturday, but the underlying financial issues remain.
“The financial situation at Grambling is severe,” said University of Louisiana System President Sandra Woodley.
Last week, Grambling State President Frank G. Pogue issued a formal plea to the alumni.
“Grambling, when compared to other University of Louisiana System (ULS) schools, is closest to declaring financial exigency,” he wrote.
Over the past six years, the university’s state appropriation has been “drastically” reduced from $31.6 million to $13.8 million, according to the president. Since 2008, tuition and fees have risen 61 percent, while 60 percent of Grambling’s parents do not qualify for education loans, all in the midst of a slow economy and “excessive unemployment.” And these financial hurdles have not stopped Louisiana from mandating higher standards for college admissions and better performance on student retention and graduation rates.
“Despite the current budget shortfall and the anticipation of additional cuts, Grambling State University continues its commitment to educate our students and provide them with state-of-the-art technology and resources,” Pogue pledged.
