Biden admin sends 'threatening' letter, pressures states to increase HBCU funding to achieve 'equity'

The Biden administration is pressuring several states to fund historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the name of equity.

The Departments of Education (ED) and Agriculture (USDA) sent letters to the Governors of 16 states on Sept. 18, demanding that they rectify funding gaps between HBCUs and state universities. The letters said that “[u]nequitable funding” caused funding gaps over the past 30 years and pushed the states to take steps to make those schools “whole.”

“To ensure we are able to compete at a high level and develop the strong workforce that will propel this country into the future, generate the next wave of job creators, and fuel our economy, it is imperative that high-quality educational opportunities are available to all students,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote. “The Second Morrill Act of 1890 required that states choosing to open a second land-grant institution to serve Black students, provide an equitable distribution of funds between their 1862 and 1890 land-grant institutions.”

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ team fired back at the administration in a statement to Campus Reform, defending Sanders’ support of a public state HBCU, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. 

“The Governor is proud of the rich tradition at UAPB and will continue to support the Golden Lions,” Sanders’ communications director, Alexa Henning, said. “A threatening, politically charged letter from the Biden administration bureaucrats won’t change her commitment to working with our partners in the legislature to continue supplying all students with high quality education and learning opportunities.” 

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Cardona and Vilsack claimed that HBCUs in the several states were not able to make progress as fast as the state schools due in large part to “unbalanced funding.” The entire university community is disadvantaged by this “longstanding and ongoing underinvestment,” and it may also negatively affect the economy of each state, they added.

The two departments used data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Survey (IPEDS) to calculate the funding gaps between HBCUs and state schools between 1987-2020. Altogether, 17 universities in the 16 states experienced a combined funding gap of more than $12 billion in that time period. 

“These funds could have supported infrastructure and student services and would have better positioned the university to compete for research grants,” the letter said. “[HBCUs have] been able to make remarkable strides and would be much stronger and better positioned to serve its students, your state, and the nation if made whole with respect to this funding gap.”

The two secretaries praised some states for trying to close the gap already by allocating remedial funding; it also praised several groups of students and alumni seeking court orders to mandate funds. Cardona and Vilsack also conceded that the problem predated both the Biden administration and the several governors, and that closing the gaps would be nearly impossible in the short-term. They proposed the states make long-term funding commitments to achieve parity over time. 

“[I]t is our hope that we can collaborate to avoid burdensome and costly litigation that has occurred in several states,” the secretaries wrote.

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“We are at an inflection point that will determine our place in the world as leaders,” the secretaries concluded. “We need to solidify our country as the top producer of talent and innovation – demonstrating to the global community that nothing can beat American ingenuity… strengthening these universities to provide tomorrow’s workforce will enhance your state’s economic viability.” 

“We are committed to working with you to bring balance to the state investments in institutions that have been severely underfunded through the years,” they added.

Campus Reform reached out to the ED and the USDA, as well as all 16 governors to whom letters were sent. This article will be updated accordingly.