'We have buildings that are falling apart:' HBCU students disappointed with potential cuts in Biden package
WASHINGTON - Local college students are weighing in after a drastic drop in potential funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
The Biden administration originally proposed spending $45 billion for HBCU’s in the $3.5 Trillion spending package, but due to democratic infighting, the newest version only includes $2 billion that can go toward educational programs and infrastructure, the associated press reported.
As negotiations continue between congressional democrats, the overall package could shrink, meaning some programs might not get the funding they hoped.
FOX 5 spoke to students at Howard University who say the $2 billion falls short of what they hoped for.
"With the general issues that’s going on now and then we’re having less money that’s being put on campus what else is going to be ripped from under the college students experience?" Jahari Parrish said.
Another student, Kevin Vaughn says he’s disappointed because he believes Howard and other HBCU’s across the country could really use the extra funding proposed in the spending plan.
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"$2 billion for all the HBCU’s is not enough," Kevin Vaughn said. "It just again speaks to a testament on how black students are treated in America. We’re the first to have everything shut off, we’re the first to have everything taken from us and it’s just setting us to fail in the future."
Other students feel the additional billions in potential funding they expected could be used to fix issues on campus.
"We have buildings that are falling apart, we are constantly repairing, we’re doing construction some of our buildings are just now opening so I think with more money we need to fix the infrastructure." Gabriella Walls said.
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Walls says the proposed amount going toward HBCU’s would help address the gap in resources and funding at HBCU’s compared to other institutions.
"Education in this country gets the shorthand of the stick at any point and because we’re black schools I feel like they think of us as disposable, and that should never be the case," Walls said.
"If anything, there should be more funding going into HBCU’s because that’s where culture begins for Black people and Black students. We rely on these universities to bring us a sense of community and for us to be together."
The Biden administration did provide over $4 billion in funding to HBCU’s through the American Rescue Act including $1.6 billion in debt relief to 45 HBCU’s earlier this year.