New Bill Could Put HBCU Funding At Risk

Senate Bill 873, known as the Access to Affordable College Education Act, seeks to cap tuition at five North Carolina universities at $500 a semester for in state students.

The bill also says the UNC system should review university’s names based on their impact on enrollment, academic strength and diversity.

The schools impacted are Fayetteville State University, Elizabeth City State, UNC Pembroke, Winston Salem State and Western Carolina.

Critics of the bill say it is an attack on HBCUs and will prevent them from having enough funding. The tuition caps, as well as limits on student fees, means these schools could lose millions.

The bill’s sponsor, Republican State Senator Tom Apodaca, said the tuition cuts would cost $60 to $80 million, which the state would cover from its general fund.

Fayetteville State, Elizabeth City and Winston Salem are all HBCUs and UNC Pembroke serves a large population of Native American and African-American students.

Speaking at an NAACP Press Conference at UNC, Derick Smith – a professor at North Carolina A&T and alumni of Fayetteville State – condemned Senate Bill 873 as part of larger effort against HBCUs.

“We just believe that it is an attempt to whitewash the HBCUs. And it is attempt to undermine a wonderful tradition of historically black colleges and universities in the state of North Carolina,” said Smith.

Ignite NC, a grassroots youth organization, has issued a petition against the bill saying it damages the school’s ability to provide necessary services and education to their students.

The petition says the bill will disproportionately will affect black, minority and rural students.

Supporters say it’s a way to improve these campuses as well as providing affordable education to more North Carolinians.

Also in the works is the NCGAP program, which aims to heighten admissions requirements at UNC system schools. NCGAP would send more students to community college out of high school, giving them the chance to transfer after 2 years.

Critics of this program say it would have the greatest impact on HBCUs, by limiting their enrollment and their funding.

The bill also establishes scholarships for North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T, the state’s largest HBCUs.