U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack sent a letter to 16 governors of states with 1890 Land Grant HBCUs urging them to pay rectify a $12 million funding disparity that has existed for decades. There are 18 land grant institutions in total but Delaware (Delaware State) and Ohio (Central State) have equitably funded their land-grant HBCUs.

“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” Cardona said in the letter. “I am continually inspired by all that HBCUs have achieved despite having to punch above their weight. Our HBCUs graduate a huge share of our nation’s Black educators, doctors, engineers, judges, and lawyers. These institutions and the talented, diverse students they serve must have equitable funding in order to reach their full potential and continue driving innovation. The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to have made record investments in our HBCUs, but to compete in the 21st century we need state leaders to step up and live up to their legally required obligations to our historically Black land-grant institutions.

 

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The Land Grant College System, established in 1862 through the Morrill Land Grant Act, aimed to provide states with profitable land to establish colleges that would focus on agriculture and mechanical arts. However, the initial land grant colleges were segregated, and it wasn't until 1889 that they were required to integrate in order to receive federal funding. Reluctant to integrate, state leaders decided to create separate agriculture and mechanical colleges for black individuals. Unfortunately, these colleges were significantly inferior to their white counterparts.

To address this disparity, the Second Morrill Act of 1890 was passed, with the goal of expanding educational opportunities in agriculture and mechanical arts. This act mandated that state governments provide equal financial appropriations to both black and predominantly white land grant colleges. However, the determination of what constituted “just and equal” funding was left to the discretion of the state government.

This discrepancy in state support resulted in predominantly white land grant institutions receiving more financial assistance than historically black land grant colleges. A comprehensive analysis reveals the extent of underfunding per student in state-appropriated funds for each state's 1890 HBCU from 1987 to 2020. The report also proposes potential solutions to address this funding disparity.

You can view the letters here.