Three HBCU alumni recently filed a lawsuit against Georgia and its public higher education system for the underfunding of HBCUs.
Filed in the federal court last Tuesday, the alumni are accusing the University System of Georgia of using funds that should’ve gone to Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State universities and redirecting them to funding white-led learning institutions. Although the three public HBCUs are currently being denied adequate funds, they are the ones that rely on state funds the most.
Per the lawsuit, the alumni are also highlighting the fact that no HBCU alumni currently sit on the board.
With their latest legal action, they hope to reach more equal ground when it comes to funds for HBCUs compared to other predominantly white higher education learning institutions, aiding future HBCU students by securing more money for the schools.
“It could help them, help them financially, help them go to a better, beautiful school than it is now, help them grow as a person, help them get a better experience in college,” said Fort Valley State graduate Martrice Herrington per The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. “Sometimes you have to speak up for what you want.”
The most recent lawsuit comes amidst increased attention to the underfunding of HBCUs.
In September, the federal government took action on their own as Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack sent joint letters on the matter to 16 states. Through the letters, the administration demanded that the governors of these 16 states address the more than $12 billion gap between funds for land-grant HBCUs and non-HBCUs.
While HBCUs are generally less funded than any other non-HBCU institute, the disparities in the funding of HBCUs and Ivy Leagues are particularly emphasized. In a new study released in May early this year, researchers found that HBCUs get 178 times less funding than Ivy League schools.
Conducted by researchers from Candid and ABFE, the study found that the top eight Ivy League schools received $5.5 billion dollars from 1,000 foundations in the U.S. Meanwhile, the 99 HBCUs in the U.S. were funded only $45 million.
Although HBCUs enroll 10% of all Black students, the study found that funding from the foundations was on a downward trend; while they received $65 million in 2002, HBCUs received just $20 million in 2019.
“Despite the achievements of HBCUs, philanthropy funds these higher education institutions at significantly lower rates than comparable PWIs. This leaves HBCUs with less than adequate funding to support their operations, educational programs,
infrastructure, and endowments,” wrote the researchers of the study. “This report serves as a clarion call to our sector to right the systemic philanthropic funding disparity facing HBCUs and to adequately invest in the future of these institutions.”
