The recent expiration of mandatory federal funding for historically black colleges is already having consequences on campuses, wrote Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, in a letter to lawmakers Monday.
More than $255 million in Title III, Part F, funds expired on September 30 after U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, chair of the Senate education committee, blocked legislation (the FUTURE Act) to provide a short-term extension of the money. Instead, Sen. Alexander proposed a long-term extension of the funding in a broader higher education package—an offer rejected by Senate Democrats, who have insisted on a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Inside Higher Ed reported.
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which represents public historically black colleges, has already seen examples of member colleges notifying employees that their positions or programs will be terminated by September 30, 2020, or sooner if the funding is not reauthorized, Williams said in his letter.
"These are real jobs, held by people who interact with students every day, in programs that play a critical role in graduating and retaining students in the STEM fields, among other disciplines," he wrote. "The longer we wait to give certainty to these universities, the more institutions will be left with no choice but to begin winding down programs that materially benefit students and employees alike, and strip away the institutional knowledge bases that our schools have built over time with the support of Title III, Part F."
Williams called on the Senate to pass the FUTURE Act, which was previously approved by the House, before tackling a broader agreement to overhaul the Higher Education Act, reported Inside Higher Ed.
Related Link
Inside Higher Ed
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/10/15/hbcus-plan-cuts-after-congress-misses-funding-deadline