On Monday, the U.S. Secretary of Education announced that the 2003 Education Department budget may include a $12 million increase in spending for historically black colleges and those that educate many Hispanic students.
This is about 3.6 percent above current funding levels. President Bush will introduce the budget to Congress next month.
In total, the proposed budget will include more than $350 million for programs that will strengthen historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), historically black graduate institutions (HBGIs), and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs).
Bush will ask Congress to increase funding for HBCUs by $7.4 million. The proposed 2003 budget represents an increase in spending that would result in an estimated average award of more than $2 million each for the about 100 eligible HBCUs and an average award of almost $3 million for the almost 20 eligible HBGIs.
Bush will request more than $89 million to support HSIs. This represents a $3.1 million increase over 2002 levels.
In order to qualify as a Hispanic-serving institution, a college or university must have an enrollment that is at least 25 percent Hispanic.
In addition, 50 percent of the Hispanic students must be low-income, said Dan Langan, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education.
Institutions will have to apply for funding once the budget has passed, Langan said.
Bush has pledged to increase funding for HBCUs, HBGIs and HSIs by 30 percent between 2001 and 2005.
The increases are part of an effort to expand post-secondary education opportunities for students from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds and close achievement gaps among black and Hispanic students.
They come after the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which was signed into law earlier this month.
"To honor the legacy of Dr. King, we must continue to support the institutions that offer our minority and disadvantaged students opportunities through higher education," U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Page said in a statement released Monday.
"We have committed the resources we need to get that job done, and we will continue to work to make sure that every student in America can achieve, and no child is left behind," Page said.
Many are excited about the newly proposed budget.
"Increasing the budget for historically black colleges and Latino colleges will be a feather in [President Bush's] cap," University Dean of African-American Affairs M. Rick Turner said. "I'm gratified" that this is happening.
"Traditionally, black colleges and universities have not received their fair share," said Thomas Reed, director of university relations at Virginia State University, a historically black school.
Reed said he thought the increases in spending would be very favorable because they would allow colleges and universities to be able to offer educational possibilities to everyone who deserves them.
He also said he thought it was too early to say what Virginia State University might use its increased funding for, but he speculated that the money might be allocated for some financial aid.
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