Land-Grant HBCUs: Billions in Missed Funding and Calls for Equitable Support

The Biden administration has sent letters to the governors of 16 states, urging them to invest more money in historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that were established under the Morrill acts. According to the letters, land-grant HBCUs have missed out on over $13 billion in funding over the past few decades. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack highlighted the funding gap and emphasized that closing it would strengthen the universities and better serve their students. The gap between majority-Black and majority-white land-grant institutions in some states, such as Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina, ranged from $1 to $2 billion. The administration hopes to collaborate with the states to avoid costly litigation.