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UNCF (United Negro College Fund) Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Government Affairs Lodriguez Murray says the time is now for Congress to pass HBCUs IGNITE Excellence Act, H.R. 8803.
The bill would require the U.S. Department of Education to disperse grants for new campus buildings, expand broadband access, and acquire research and instruction equipment specifically at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs), such as Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) and other Asian American, Native American and Pacific Islander-serving institutions.
“This bill is the most important single piece of legislation for HBCUs before this Congress, and it must be passed by both the House and Senate prior to adjournment,” Murray wrote in an op-ed posted on social media. “The time is now for Democrats and Republicans to join us and pass this bill, just as they worked together to pass the FUTURE Act in 2019,” Murray notes.
The Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act or the FUTURE Act permanently authorizes funding for minority-serving institutions of higher education and increases the authorization of appropriations for Pell Grants. The bill requires the Department of Education and Internal Revenue Service to issue joint reports to Congress on this bill, including an update on the status of implementation of this bill and an evaluation of how such implementation affected the processing of applications for financial aid and discharge of student loans.
“We need everyone who supports HBCUs to go to UNCF.org/HBCUIgnite and write your members of Congress. This is the way we can make a significant change on our campuses and improve our facilities. We must act now to ensure Congress acts now. HBCUs Forever!”
Read Murray’s full message on the following social media channels: