The National Black Law Students Association Applauds the President's Executive Order for increased support to America's HBCUs

(2/26/2010) Washington, D.C. - President Obama's signing of the executive order which grants aid and support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities wholeheartedly embraced by the National Black Law Students Association. The current state of the HBCUs around America has been on shaky ground for the past few years. Earlier this month, this problem almost caused two of the most prominent HBCUs in Mississippi to merge into one institution. The President's Order will provide $98 million in support to HBCUs and their students in 2011. This Order will increase the Strengthening HBCUs program by $13 million, adding an additional 5% of funding to the current $85 million budget for HBCUs in the pending Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The Order will also double the current Federal Pell Grant amount from $18.2 billion to $34.8 billion to ensure student accessibility to funding, and $20.5 million for the HBCU Capital Financing program providing HBCU's access for institutional repair, upkeep, and expansion.

"The perseveration of our Historically Black Colleges and Universities is very important due to their deep connection to America's and the African American community's culture and traditions," said NBLSA's National Chair Tiffany Munsell, who continued, "this access to funding will allow our HBCUs to continue to provide students with the quality education and academic resources that they rightly deserve."

With over 105 HBCUs in America today, NBLSA has a commitment to the vitality and development of the institutions. As an organization, our most recent efforts to protect these institutions have taken the form of meetings with members of Congress regarding the importance of access to student funding, and ensuring that HBCUs have access to funding.

The National Black Law Students Association, founded in 1968, is a national organization formed to articulate and promote the needs and goals of Black law students and effectuate change in the legal community. As the largest student run organization in the United States with over 7000 members, NBLSA is also comprised of chapters or affiliates in six different countries, including the Bahamas, Nigeria and South Africa.

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Contact:

Alicia A. Forde
National Attorney General
ag@nblsa.org

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