President Biden announces $1.3B in additional funding for HBCUs during annual conference in Philly

President Biden stepped into this year’s annual National HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia with a smile and a major financial investment announcement.

The Biden-Harris administration promised to invest an additional $1.3 billion in federal funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. With these new investments, combined with the previously announced $16 billion in total federal investments in HBCUs, the Biden-Harris administration reports it has set a record of over $17 billion in federal investments in HBCUs since 2021.

“Together, Kamala and I know that an education makes a person free, HBCU education makes you fearless as well,” said Biden, who pointed out the challenges these schools face. “We all know that HBCU students are just as capable as other students. But the [schools] don’t have the endowments.”

Biden then touted his record of investment to the crowd at the Center City Marriot. “That’s why I’m proud to be living on a record $17 billion, the most ever any administration has ever, ever, ever committed,” he said as the crowd applauded and cheered.

The funding will be used to pair students with different industries, with an emphasis on federally granted programs that help with careers in STEM and IT jobs in engineering and cybersecurity.

Biden also played to the room full of African Americans and even joked that Vice President Kamala Harris, who graduated from Howard University, had some competition with nearby Delaware State University for best HBCU. Biden told the crowd he began his political career at Delaware State and commended Harris for her work for and support of HBCU funding.

“HBCUs are engines of economic mobility in our country that raises standard of living for everybody,” Biden said to the crowd as he listed careers he hopes the funds will continue to grow in the Black community. “We know that HBCUs are critical for creating more wealth for our community.”

He cited that HBCUs have produced “40% of all Black engineers, 50% of all Black teachers, 70% of all Black doctors and dentists, 80% of all Black judges. I’m increasing that number too.”

Prior to Biden’s entrance, the room full of Black scholars, educators, HBCU leadership and alumni erupted in line dancing, sorority strolls and fraternity hops. Many proudly stood and sang in memory of Philly’s hometown son, Frankie Beverly, to his classic song “Before I Let Go.”

Nonprofit employee and Tennesee State University alumnus Erin Lynch said, “We’ve had visitation from other presidents in the past, but given that we are in such an inflection point in our country right now, its important that he speaks directly to the community that is going to help support him and the administration moving forward.”

Lynch explained her day job includes assisting more than 100 HBCUs in need of resources and improves education for minorities.

She lauded Biden for recognizing the work of HBCU graduates and professionals, and also how funds will fund STEM- and IT-related programs for current and prospective students.

“What he really helped us to do was to solidify our contributions to those spaces. Our HBCUs are more than our bands, they are more than our football teams and basketball teams, they are the scholars, they are the pending Nobel Peace Prize winners, and they are the creators for cures for diseases, and I think it was about time he led with that talk about our schools,” Lynch said.

The White House cited new research by the United Negro College Fund, which funds scholarships for Black students and general scholarship funds for HBCUs. The report found that HBCUs generate $16.5 billion annually in economic impact on communities across the United States, as well as more than 136,000 jobs and $146 billion in collective lifetime earnings for their graduates.

In 2021, Biden reinstated the White House Initiative on HBCUs, which has a goal to advance educational equity, excellence and economic opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Dietra Trent, executive director of the White House initiative on HBCUs, said Biden’s presence today confirms the White House commitment to Black students and career professionals.

“This administration has continued to invest. He knows the importance of our schools and he values diversity like no other president has ever valued diversity, and HBCUs are really benefiting from it,” Trent said.

Around 3,000 people registered for the conference, and 70 of the currently sitting HBCU presidents (101) were in attendance.

Christina Compere Minor, a social media manager at Florida A&M University, traveled from Tallahassee with hopes of expanding her school’s network. She said Biden’s visit confirms the work HBCUs are doing is vital to the nation’s success.

“This shows how much HBCUs impact our nation, and having him here to speak to us is an honor and privilege, but shows funding HBCUs is funding America,” Minor said. “I feel our professionals that we produce at Historically Black Colleges and Universities help America’s economy grow, so the fact that there are billions of dollars for HBCUs is super important, and of course the next president would be able to see that we produce the best in the workforce. I think President Biden is here today for that stamp of approval that we are doing the right thing.”

This year’s annual conference, which is planned under leadership from the White House Initiative on HBCUs, continues through Sept. 19.

“The idea behind this conference is to bring our federal agencies together with our HBCU community and talk about research and talk about opportunities that they can go after and compete for,” Trent said. “Having the president here today really showed the HBCU community how much it means to him. He started his career on a HBCU campus and he has not forgotten that.”

HBCUs represent 3% of U.S. colleges and universities, according to the Department of Education, yet provide college access to twice as many Pell Grant–eligible, low- and middle- income students as non-HBCU institutions.