Washington — for the first time since he assumed office in 1992.
President Bill Clinton met with several dozen members of the National
Association For Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) to
discuss issues of concern to Historically Black Colleges and
Universities (HBCUs).
“Our members have wanted to meet with the president ever since he
took office,” said Dr. Henry Ponder Jr., the president of NAFEO, which
represents the interests of 116 historically and predominantly Black
colleges and universities.
The Monday, February 24, meeting — called by NAFEO and held in the
State Dining Room of the White House — focused on various higher
education aspects of the proposed Clinton budget, support for the
University of the District of Columbia (UDC), and continued HBCU
exemption from a law that would otherwise bar twenty-two HBCUs from
participating in federal loan programs because of high default rates.
President Clinton took advantage of the opportunity to highlight his
administration’s record in expanding educational opportunities for
African Americans.
“Over the last four years, we have put in place a comprehensive
college opportunity strategy to make college available to every
American citizen,” the president said. “I directed the Department of
Education and the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges
to work to increase funding to HBCUs. We’ve made student loans less
expensive and much easier to obtain under the Direct Student Loan
Program…. Last year we increased the Pell Grant program by 20
percent, taking the maximum grant up to $2,700 from $2,460. That was
the biggest increase in twenty years.”
Following his remarks, the president responded to six questions
prepared by NAFEO, which the White House staff had scrutinized in
advance. The hour-long conversation was restricted to these six areas
of inquiry.
One of NAFEO’s concerns was that the $1, 500 HOPE scholarship tax
credit included in the president’s recent budget proposal would not
benefit many HBCU students, 90 percent of whom are Pell grantees. Pell
recipients would not be eligible to participate in the president’s
proposed HOPE Scholarship program.
NAFEO also expressed concern that the proposed requirement that
HOPE scholarship students must maintain a B average might exclude many
African American students and could encourage grade inflation.
