HBCUs

The new Science Center at Morgan State University "will be on the cutting edge of discovery," says Maryland Governor Wes Moore. "Maryland will build it. Maryland will educate it. Maryland will grow it, and the world will benefit from it. Morgan will soon be ranked among the best places for research in the world.”

To expand its patient care services and student training opportunities, Meharry Medical College has recently purchased eight new medical clinics in Nashville and Memphis. Combined, the clinics currently serve 25,000 patients.

“This is a big deal for our department and a point of pride for our faculty,” said Felicia Simpson, department chair and professor of mathematics. “We are changing students’ perception of mathematics.”

The agreement between the city and historically Black Grambling State University focuses on expanding the existing partnership through initiatives in public safety, emergency response, infrastructure improvement, economic and workforce development, and community service.

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

“I will approach this role with bold vision — focused on student success, innovation, and national prominence — while building strong bridges with the FAMU community and honoring the legacy that makes this university so special," said Johnson.

“Throughout my career in higher education, I have been a strong proponent of student achievement,” said Dr. Hargrove. “I am excited to lead Elizabeth City State University with a focus on academic excellence and success, fiscal and leadership stability, and a vision for growth and elevated reputation.”

As part of the Trump Administration's significant cuts to the Department of Education, a new discretionary funding proposal includes a $64 million cut to Howard University's FY2026 budget, which would return the HBCU's federal funding to its FY2021 budget level.

With the addition of Hampton University and Hinds Community College at Utica, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund now has 57 member schools. Institutions affiliated with the TMCF benefit from the organization's student scholarships, research opportunities, and strategic partnerships.

Set to open on the Stillman College campus this fall, I Dream Big Charter School will offer a free educational option for middle-school students in Alabama. The school will also serve as a teacher development lab for Stillman students.

Jackson State University President Marcus Thompson abruptly resigned on May 7. Denise Jones Gregory, the HBCU's provost, has been tapped to serve as interim president.

The Payne Research Center at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund has conducted a survey with HBCU students to gauge their financial challenges and aspirations in an effort to develop initiatives aimed at improving their financial well-being and ability to build generational wealth.

“I am profoundly honored to have been chosen to lead Talladega College, an institution with a powerful legacy and boundless potential,” said Dr. Todd. "As a proud product of an HBCU and a lifelong servant of these sacred institutions, I believe the time has come to reimagine liberal arts education as a dynamic force for the future."

The newly created "Opportunity Colleges and Universities" designation from Carnegie Classifications highlights institutions that successfully enroll students that reflect the communities they serve and whose alumni go on to earn competitive wages compared to their peers.

Crystal Sanders' award-winning book, A Forgotten Migration: Black Southerners, Segregation Scholarships, and the Debt Owed to Public HBCUs, explores Black southerners' efforts to secure post-baccalaureate education during the era of legal segregation.

The University of Louisville has housed Simmons College of Kentucky's institutional archives for over 50 years. Recently the physical collection has been returned to the HBCU, where it will remain and be developed into an accessible digital archive.

“This isn’t just about a scholarship - it’s about designing systems that honor where students are coming from and set them up for long-term success,” said Tiffany Steward, vice president for enrollment management and student success at Fisk University.

"I am immensely proud of our students," said Karl Twyner, dean of humanities at Rust College. "They worked diligently to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Through it, they gained international exposure for themselves and the college, received valuable feedback from world-class judges, and created lifelong memories."

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

JBHE has compiled a list of the graduation rates at the nation's 25 largest HBCUs by total enrollments to see how students at these schools succeed in earning a degree. Only four of the 25 HBCUs graduated at least half of their entering students within six years. The low graduation rates at many of these HBCUs is undoubtedly impacted by a long history of underfunding at these institutions.