Campus News - Page 7

As College Presidents’ Tenures Shrink Nationally, These HBCU Boards Are Betting Big on Longevity

By Autumn A. Arnett Dr. Melva K. Wallace recently received a 10-year contract extension as president of Huston-Tillotson University, the longest in HTU history, and one of the longest in higher ed as a whole in the post-COVID era. In an industry in which college presidents are increasingly unlikely to stay long enough to see their strategic plans through, where the average presidential tenure has trended down — going from 8.5 years in 2006 to seven years in 2011 to 6.5 in 2016 and landing at 5.9 years in 2023, the most recent year of the American Council on Education’s

Coppin State University Earns National Recognition for Value, Affordability and Student Outcomes

 Coppin State University is earning national recognition for the value of a Coppin education, with new rankings from Niche and Washington Monthly highlighting the University’s affordability, student outcomes and commitment to educational access. Coppin earned national recognition in Niche’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, placing the University among the nation’s leading HBCUs and best-value institutions. The #100 Best Value Colleges in America ranking places Coppin among the top 7% of institutions evaluated nationally in that category. Coppin also earned recognition from Washington Monthly in its 2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars rankings. Coppin ranked #129 out of 393 colleges and universities in the Northeast, placing the

Florida Memorial University Receives Knight Foundation Support to Protect the Long-Term Value of Its Campus

The grant will fund advisory support from Hayat Brown, an independent real estate development advisory firm, to help FMU evaluate land development proposals and negotiate an agreement that reflects fair value for its land while protecting the university’s long-term institutional interests. FMU currently enrolls approximately 1,700 students and has a vision of growing to 5,000, a scale that will require significant new housing capacity and campus infrastructure. The proposed redevelopment, which includes student housing, workforce housing and athletic facilities, is intended to both support enrollment growth and diversify university revenue beyond tuition. Knight Foundation’s support reflects a broader understanding of

HBCUs Are Building New Support Systems for Black Male Students

 Before heading to Howard University in fall 2021, Christopher Davis was determined to be the first Black man in his family to graduate from college. Not even a pandemic or financial insecurity could keep him from his dream – or so he thought. ​​By the fall of 2023, his college future felt like it was fading. He had already unenrolled twice from Howard, each time weighed down by disappointment, doubt, and mental illness. ​“The first time [unenrolling] was really just me not knowing a lot about myself, and what I wanted to do, who I was, and just going through

MacKenzie Scott’s HBCU Giving Has Crossed $1 Billion and She’s Not Slowing Down

MacKenzie Scott is writing another big check to a Black college, and this one pushes her total giving to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) well past $1 billion. Scott recently donated $42 million to Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in North Carolina, giving the small public HBCU a major financial boost. According to Fortune, the latest contribution brings Scott’s total HBCU giving to more than $1 billion. And for ECSU, the money could make a real difference. As The Root previously reported, the university says the gift will support its ASCEND 2030 strategic plan, including scholarships, academic programs and improvements to campus

Dr. Sam Williams and the New HBCU-Africa Academic Bridge

By Ajong Mbapndah L Education is emerging as a powerful new bridge between Africa and its global diaspora, and Dr. Sam Williams believes the relationship can deliver far more than student exchanges and ceremonial agreements. For the Lincoln University scholar and entrepreneurship leader, the bigger opportunity lies in turning academic partnerships into engines for innovation, enterprise, research and economic development. Dr. Williams is Chair of the Business & Entrepreneurial Studies Department, Associate Professor and Director of the Lincubator at Lincoln University. His work sits at the intersection of education and entrepreneurship, with a strong focus on preparing students to become

New Parent PLUS Loan Limits Hit HBCU Families

New Parent PLUS loan limits for HBCU families are arriving fast, and the math is about to get tighter for a lot of households. Starting July 1, 2026, parents can no longer borrow up to the full cost of attendance the way they used to. The new rule caps borrowing at $20,000 per year and $65,000 total per student, no matter how high tuition runs. For families already juggling Pell Grants and savings, that ceiling changes the whole financing conversation. Why This Hits HBCUs Differently HBCUs serve a large share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students. Many of those families lean

Morgan Secures $10-Million Grant to Build Trusted Autonomous Networks While Powering University’s R1 Ascent

by Morgan State U As autonomous technologies assume greater responsibility in transportation, infrastructure, communications and other high-stakes environments, ensuring that these systems can operate safely, explain their decisions and withstand disruption has become a defining research challenge. Morgan State University has been selected to help meet that challenge, securing a crucial five-year, $10-million federal grant to establish The Institute for Trusted Autonomous Networks (TITAN), expand research and doctoral training, and strengthen the institutional capacity supporting the University’s advancement toward a Carnegie R1 “very high research activity” classification. Morgan received the maximum award available through the U.S. Department of War (DoW) Pilot Program to Increase

Howard University Doctoral Student Receives Competitive Dissertation Fellowship, Examines Faith in Educational Experiences of Black Students

By Adriana Fraser Howard University doctoral candidate Tribuana Jones was recently named as a 2026 recipient of the Louisville Institute Dissertation Fellowship award, a competitive funding opportunity that supports Ph.D. or Th.D. (Doctor of Theology) students whose research focuses on Christian faith and life, the practice of ministry, religious trends and movements, and religion and social issues. Jones, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in Howard’s Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) program, was one of 10 students selected to receive the Louisville Institute fellowship that provides awardees with a $35,000 grant to support their final year of dissertation writing. The award will support Jones as she

Florida’s First HBCU Hits Enrollment Milestone with Largest Fall Class in Two Decades

The achievement comes at a time when American higher education is navigating financial pressures, demographic changes and major shifts in diversity and admissions policies. The university closed Fall 2026 registration with 1,281 students, a 5.4% increase from the previous year and a 37.4% increase from its 932 students in Fall 2019. Edward Waters University, Florida’s first historically Black college and university, has reached its highest fall enrollment in more than 20 years. The Jacksonville institution welcomed 1,281 students for Fall 2026, continuing a period of sustained growth in enrollment, academics and institutional finances. The achievement comes at a time when

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