fundamentally. like, existence of hbcu's in 2015 doesnt mesh well with postracial american dreaming

so maybe he is ok with just letting all but the strongest wither and die?

Or, is he just ignoring the topic as usual (see- no CBC meeting for almost 2 years) and reading off the notes his cabinet ppl handed to him 5 min b4 the meeting

on the other hand, bad loans and bad graduation rates is a deadly combo

http://www.crewof42.com/cbc-2/president-obama-said-to-be-critical-of-hbcus-during-cbc-meeting/

http://www.bet.com/news/politics/2015/02/13/does-the-white-house-get-the-value-of-an-hbcu-education.html

President Obama was critical of Historically Black Colleges and Universities during a meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus this week according to several in attendance. The February 10 meeting was the first group gathering with the Black Caucus and the President since June 2013.

Several who attended the meeting indicated that President Obama felt that the focus of HBCU’s needs to be on the schools changing their ways of doing business rather on changes in federal policy. Those who attended said he was specifically critical of graduation rates and loan policies. The President also spoke to CBC members on his free community college plan which some HBCU advocates believe will hurt HBCUs.

The Chair of President Obama’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, Hampton President Dr. William Harvey, was critical of the lack of input the Board had on the community college proposal during a speech in Washington to Administration officials on February 4. He also said he was “disappointed and saddened” by the lack of agency funding for Historically Black colleges and Universities.

“We are not consulted when it comes to policy changes and decisions impacting – in a major way – the institutions on whose behalf we are to advocate. It happened with Pell. It happened with Parent Plus. And, now it is happening with the new community college initiative,” President Obama’s HBCU Initiative Chairman said on Feb. 4.

HBCUs have had a tough time during the Obama Administration. In 2011, a change by the Department of Education to Parent PLUS loan standards would eventually cost HBCUs over $150 million. In August 2012, Morris Brown College filed for Chapter 11. In 2013, St. Paul College closed after 125 years. This week it was learned that South Carolina State University may close for at least a year. Title III spending on HBCUs has steadily gone down since 2009.


“Pell grants to students at HBCUs are down. Direct loans to our students are down. Graduate subsidies have been eliminated. In addition to student support, overall support to Black colleges is down,” Dr. Harvey, who has been President of Hampton since 1978, said on Feb. 4.

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), an alum of South Carolina State University, would not speak on the school’s situation. When asked to comment on what President Obama said on HBCUs at the February 10, White House meeting with the CBC, Clyburn said, “it’s for-profit schools where the graduation rate problem is — not HBCUs, the Parent PLUS loan stuff has to do with new rules on credit worthiness and I just think that in the discussion he mangled it.”

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan apologized in 2013 for the “real impact” the Parent PLUS change had on HBCUs. A modification of the Parent PLUS criteria was announced by the Department of Education in October 2014 and is set to take effect in July 2015.

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), a graduate of North Carolina Central and North Carolina Central Law School, declined to comment on what the President said on HBCUs on February 10 during the CBC’s meeting with the President.

Other members commented.

“He said there were some HBCUs that were not good at graduating students and if they did not improve they’d have to go by the wayside,” said Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA).

“In other words he didn’t show much empathy for struggling HBCUs. It was like show me the numbers and if the numbers aren’t where they need to be, that’s it. It was a somewhat callous view of the unique niche HBCUs fill,” Rep. Johnson, a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, said. Rep. Johnson said there needs to be a deeper discussion with the President on HBCU issues.

“We worked on this for two years and it’s a lack of understanding with this Administration and — chart1in particular — this Secretary,” said Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL) from Florida referring to Education Secretary Duncan. Rep. Brown is a graduate of Florida A&M.

“I worked at a community college for 16 years. I worked at a Black college for four years. I worked at the University of Florida for four years. We’re talking about community colleges for everybody — we should be talking about programs and the money following the kids. They should have the option of going to wherever they want to go for those two years,” Rep. Brown added.