HBCUs predict enrollment surge after affirmative-action ruling
Since the Supreme Court of the United States outlawed race-conscious admissions last month, historically Black colleges and universities have predicted an influx of new applicants and are making a concerted pitch for more funding.
In its June 29 ruling, the court effectively ended race-conscious admissions in the United States, determining that the practice is unconstitutional and discriminates against white and Asian American students. While the decision left many colleges worrying that fewer students of color will apply, some experts predict that HBCUs will see an increase in Black students seeking a more inclusive environment.
In the fall of 2022, undergraduate enrollment at the nation’s 107 HBCUs increased 2.5 percent, according to a report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, although that growth has been uneven.
“What we’re talking about really is a redistribution of existing students,” said James V. Koch, co-author of Vital and Valuable: The Relevance of HBCUs to American Life and Education. “Just about as many Black students are going to go to college as did before. They’ll simply be going to a slightly different selection of institutions.”
Experts believe the ruling will mainly affect more-selective HBCUs, such as Howard University, over lesser-known regional colleges, such as Virginia Union University or the University of the District of Columbia. HBCUs like Howard will also very likely offer larger financial-aid packages and scholarships, said Koch, who has also served as president of the University of Montana at Missoula and Old Dominion University, in Virginia.
Administrators at HBCUs worry that the surge of students could further strain historically underfunded programs. Howard University, for example, is preparing to make admissions processes more selective to account for limited space and resources, The Washington Post reported. Some have also already started a fund-raising push in the wake of the decision, including Howard and the United Negro College Fund.
With more students come more tuition dollars, said Omari Swinton, an economics professor at Howard and co-author of Vital and Valuable. Swinton and Koch also found that some HBCUs have excess capacity, and can probably handle the influx of students, at least for the next few years.
“Having more students knocking at their doors is a good problem,” Koch said.
Still, Swinton said the true effects of the decision won’t be entirely clear until the next admissions cycle, as many colleges had already completed admissions decisions before the ruling.
