National News - Page 39

Biden Budget Proposes Pell Grant Increase, More Money for HBCUs

By Matthew Arrojas President Joe Biden is pushing for continued investment in college affordability and access, but to a lesser extent than in past years. Biden released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2025 on Monday. While his higher education priorities like college affordability and support for minority-serving institutions (MSIs) seemingly remain unchanged from past years, his budget notably dials back the sticker price of many of his priorities. He requested a $750 increase to the maximum Pell Grant, which would bring the maximum award to $8,145 annually. For reference, he called for a $820 increase in his fiscal year 2024 budget proposal.

Congresswoman Nikema Williams Proposes New Grant Intended To Help Entrepreneurs From HBCUs

By Christopher Rhodes Black entrepreneurs often face significant hurdles to starting new businesses, but Congress may make things a bit easier. Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA) hopes to support Black-owned businesses by creating a new federal grant to HBCUs to fund these endeavors, and her plan has already gained traction. Grants for minority-owned businesses As reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rep. Williams introduced the Minority Entrepreneurship Grant Program Act on Nov. 17. As proposed, the act would set up a new program within the Small Business Administration to provide grants to students seeking to start businesses. The grants would be available to HBCUs and other minority student

NAACP calls on Black student-athletes to boycott Florida public colleges over anti-DEI policy

By Daniel Arkin The head of the NAACP is calling on Black student-athletes to reconsider their decisions to attend public colleges and universities in Florida, challenging a new state policy that bars those institutions from using government funds on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In a letter sent Monday to current and future student-athletes of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, NAACP leader Derrick Johnson implored college-bound Black athletes to “choose wisely.” “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are paramount to ensuring equitable and effective educational outcomes,” Johnson said in a statement accompanying the letter, which was first reported by NBC News. “The value

Senate Bill 2726 Naming Three Mississippi HBCUs Dies At State’s Capitol

By Quintessa Williams Senate Bill 2726, naming eight public universities, three of which were historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs): Alcorn State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and Jackson State University in the state, failed to pass at the state’s Capitol. On Monday, the Senate instead moved Senate Bill 2725, (introduced by Sen. Nicole Boyd) which would establish a taskforce made up of several appointees and lawmakers to study the “efficiency and effectiveness” of the state’s eight public schools regarding enrollment, graduation rates, and how many students actually stay in the state after they leave college. “We had hearings earlier this year where we were looking at things, and

Vice President Kamala Harris to join in marking anniversary of Bloody Sunday on Alabama bridge

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to be among those marking the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day Alabama law officers attacked Civil Rights demonstrators on the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The demonstrators were beaten by officers as they tried to march across Alabama on March 7, 1965, in support of voting rights. A march across the bridge, which is a highlight of the commemoration in Selma every year, is planned for Sunday afternoon. Sunday’s march is among dozens of events during the annual Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee, which began Thursday and culminates Sunday. The events

VP Kamala Hosts 2nd Annual Black History X HBCU Celebration At The White House

By Quintessa Williams As a tribute to the legacy and ongoing impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a reception to mark the conclusion of Black History Month. On Thursday, February 29th, the event held at the Vice Presidential residence witnessed the gathering of 100 HBCU students, alumni, and notable figures all celebrating the profound impact these institutions have on shaping the nation’s future. In her speech during the celebration, Harris emphasized the crucial role of HBCUs in American society while commending the students and pioneers for their contributions. The reception was attended by distinguished guests from academia, government, politics,

Dartmouth, Northwestern, Rice and Vanderbilt settle financial aid lawsuit

By Eva Rothenburg Four more private universities have agreed to settle a lawsuit which alleged they violated antitrust laws in determining financial aid amounts for admitted students, according to court documents filed Friday. Dartmouth College, and Rice, Vanderbilt and Northwestern universities agreed to pay a total of $166 million to settle claims filed in a 2022 class action lawsuit alleging the schools colluded on the amount of financial aid awarded to students, while favoring applicants from wealthier families. The settlement comes after Yale, Columbia, Duke, Brown and Emory agreed to pay a combined $104.5 million to settle their portions of the case

New Mississippi Bill Could Lead To The Closure Of Three HBCUs

Written By Quintessa Williams A new bill introduced in the Mississippi State Legislature may lead to the closure of three HBCUs: Mississippi Valley State University, Alcorn State University, and Jackson State University by June 2028. According to Senate Bill 2726 proposal, the State Institutions of Higher Learning must select three out of eight public universities by June 2025, with closure mandated by 2028. The bill was introduced by state Senator John Polk. According to Polk, the bill was introduced to address ‘decreased enrollment at the state public universities.’ The three HBCUs mentioned are a part of the Mississippi Institutes Of Higher Learning and could be impacted by the bill.

Supreme Court declines to hear challenge to Virginia high school’s ‘race-neutral’ admissions policy

By Devan Cole  The Supreme Court declined Tuesday to hear a challenge to a top Virginia high school’s “race-neutral” admissions policy that critics say discriminates against Asian American students. The case raised several key questions about the court’s landmark ruling last year invalidating affirmative action policies at the nation’s colleges and universities. By declining to take the appeal, the Supreme Court left in place a lower-court ruling that sided with the school. Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have taken up the case. “The court’s willingness to swallow the aberrant decision below is hard to understand,” Alito wrote in

Supreme Court allows ‘race neutral’ Virginia high school admissions policy that bolsters diversity

By Lawrence Hurley  The Supreme Court on Tuesday avoided another contentious debate over race and education by turning away a challenge to an admissions policy aimed at encouraging diversity at a Virginia high school. The high court’s decision not to intervene in the case comes just months after the conservative court ended the consideration of race in college admissions. It leaves in doubt whether the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has the votes to strike down admissions policies that do not explicitly consider race but nevertheless lead to a more diverse class. Two conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented,

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