Virginia’s historically Black colleges and universities will receive $297 million in additional funding if Governor Ralph Northam’s last state budget passes.
Norfolk State University will receive the largest chunk of the money – $164 million.
Northam announced his proposal at the school this week.
“Throughout my term as as governor, our administration and our colleges have been in conversation about how our historically Black colleges and universities have been underfunded,” Northam said. “We all understand why. It's a sad but not surprising statement on our racial history.”
Virginia State University, in Petersburg and the state’s other public HBCU, will receive $113 million.
The remaining $20 million will go to Virginia’s three private HBCUs.
The governor said that with this new proposal, his administration will have increased funding for HBCUs by 87%.
Virginia’s HBCUs have lower graduation rates than other schools.
HBCUs nationwide are “ chronically underfunded” because of lower state investment, alumni contributions and endowments.
“We have for many many decades over-produced, (and) been able to do more with less, and it's hard.” said NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston. “It is not really an acceptable way that any organization should be treated.”
“So when you do things that change that,” she added, “you change not only the trajectory of the institution, you change the trajectory of your Commonwealth and the nation.”
The money will go toward infrastructure projects at HBCUs, the governor said, but also funds for supplies and aid to help students meet the expenses of going to school.
“Students don't drop out of school because of academic reasons,” Northam said. “They drop out of school because they can't afford tuition, they can't afford the books, they can't afford transportation, they can't afford childcare.”
Northam added that many HBCUs attract students who are the first generation from their families to attend a university.
“Those students often need additional guidance and support no matter what school they attend,” he said.
HBCUs were created as a response to a racially segregated educational system and because the government refused to fund Black schools.
The schools struggled to find funding and facilities.
NSU, for example, began in 1935 with 85 students in a YMCA on Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk.
By 1953, the year before the Supreme Court reversed its position on racially segregated schools, more than 75,000 students were enrolled at HBCUs across the country.
Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin said funding HBCUs would be a priority for his administration.
