WASHINGTON, D.C., July 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- “We, at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, are immensely troubled by the cuts proposed in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies (Labor-H) Appropriations Bill by the House majority.
The proposed bill takes the extreme measure of eliminating both the Federal Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Program and the Federal Work Study Program. Both of these programs that have been integral to low-income students having access to and completing higher education for decades, we vehemently oppose their elimination and are shocked that elected officials would even consider such a measure that so greatly damages the social mobility of their constituents.
Additionally, the bill holds flat the current maximum Pell Grant award which given the current inflationary environment essentially serves as a cut to the buying power of Pell.
While we acknowledge and appreciate that the bill does include a modest $10 million or 2% increase to Title III programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the benefits of that modest increase would stand to be far outweighed by the damage caused by the potential enrollment impacts of the elimination student aid programs that our students depend upon to attend school. This modest increase in Title III funding stands in stark contrast to the increased demands that HBCUs will encounter in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Harvard and UNC cases, and the reality that our institutions have been historically under-resourced to begin with.
Additionally, this proposed bill would eliminate the research infrastructure program for HBCUs and MSIs, which was just funded for the first time in FY23 at $50 million with the Fund for Improvement of Post Secondary Education (FIPSE). This program is critical expanding the research capacity at our institutions and the research and innovation capacity of our nation as a whole.
Each of these programs are vital to the sustainability of under-resourced institutions like HBCUs or to the students that they enroll, as FSEOG, Work Study and Pell are all key to ensuring that our students have the resources to persist towards graduation. Moreover, in an environment where the recent SCOTUS decision in the Harvard and UNC cases may end up driving more student interest and, potentially, enrollment at HBCUs, now is not the time to cut this critically-needed funding for either our students or our schools.
A post-secondary degree continues to be the key to unlocking the gateway to the middle class in our country and depriving low-income students of access to higher education will only serve to damage the global competitiveness of our nation.
Recognizing that this draft, prior to potential amendments to the House bill and the release of the Senate’s version of the bill, is just a step in the long process of funding our government, TMCF remains committed to working in a bipartisan manner to advance the interests of HBCUs, Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) and low-income students as a whole. We look forward to continued conversations with members from both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress that leads to an appropriations bill that properly invests in our institutions and low-income students regardless of where they matriculate, landing on the President’s desk for signature.”
Dr. Harry L. Williams, President & CEO
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
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ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org.
