Hillary Clinton’s college plan targets HBCUs after all
Last week, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced a $350 billion plan for higher education that touted free community college and lowered interest rates on student loans.
Because Clinton’s plan was a little light on details when first released, it seemed as if Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were left out of the mix. In fact, there was some thought that Clinton’s plan may end up closing some HBCUs because it would divert federal and stated dollars away from those institutions that serve a predominately black student base.
“We’re going to work closely with (HBCUs) … because they serve some of America’s brightest students, who need the most support and too often have gotten the least of it,” Clinton said.
Under the plan, there would be a fund created “to support low and middle-income student at private HBCUs,” according to NBCNews.com.
If so, Clinton has surely underpinned her support within the African-American community. While more will have to come from the Clinton camp to ensure that she’s elected, carving out a plan that specifically serves a need for black voters is a good start.
Because HBCUs “produce one in five black college graduates,” Clinton’s plan likely looks to at least sustain, if not strengthen, those numbers. I’m glad to see that her stance has backtracked a little to include the importance of these college and universities in any major higher education funding and reform. We need them to keep producing the high quality graduates that they have for over 100 years.
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