Lending More College Options to Students

School Solutions

The high school graduation rate reached a record high of 83.2 percent in 2015, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That rate represented a 0.9 percent increase from 2014 and marked the fifth straight year the rate has climbed closer to the goal set by President Obama: 90 percent on-time high school graduation rate by 2020.

For those of us devoted to helping young people stay in school, the record-high rate is encouraging news. As America’s Promise Alliance chair Alma Powell notes, “Each incremental increase means that more young people — who in the past have been written off — are now on a path to adult success.”

Education leaders, teachers and business people have worked hard to contribute to this success, but we have more to do to provide resources to help youth achieve success in college, career and life. One key resource for students and families is information on postsecondary educational opportunities, particularly historically black colleges and universities, which offer both quality education and affordable costs.

Diversified, Not Segregated

It is true that historically black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, were created specifically for African Americans. Dating back to the 1830s, the Quakers in Philadelphia and other groups built schools to educate blacks, and immediately following the Civil War dozens of HBCUs began providing schooling for freed slaves. The reality is HBCUs played a significant role when it came to changing the American landscape to one of greater opportunity.

One mistaken notion is that the descriptor “HBCU” means these institutions are for black students only. Much has changed in the 170 years since Cheyney University, the first HBCU, opened its doors. While HBCUs still afford the cultural experiences for which they have long been known, these schools are not segregated institutions serving black students only. In fact, HBCU campuses today enroll a similar mix of white, Hispanic, American Indian and Asian students as you would see in the halls of historically white institutions.

Value of Affordability

What makes HBCUs an added value to any discussion relative to college options, especially when coaching and guiding minorities, is that they offer quality education — not only in large, well-endowed private schools like Howard, Hampton or Tuskegee, but also in the many state universities such as Virginia State, Tennessee State and Alabama State.

In addition, many HBCUs are affordably priced, meaning those students who were once “written off” due to financial hardships in their families can pursue their dreams of going to college.

HBCUs have an impact beyond just educating young people. The diversity, the rich cultural experiences, the quality education and the affordability should be shared with a new generation of students.

Visit www.hbcutoday.us for more information.