UNCF Commends the Passage of the FUTURE Act

The bipartisan, bicameral bill continues mandatory funding for HBCUs before they expire on Sept. 30, 2019

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2486, the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act. This bill, introduced by Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) and Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC), extends important mandatory funding in Title III, Part F of the Higher Education Act of 1965 until Fiscal Year 2021 for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and other Minority-Serving institutions (MSIs).

“I am proud that the House took urgent action to pass the FUTURE Act,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO, UNCF. “There are 101 HBCUs in our country and this bill ensures that they, and their students, are not severely impacted by a loss of funding that they have been able to benefit from for the last 12 years. Not only does this bill impact HBCUs that serve close to 300,000 students around the country, this bill impacts other TCUs, HSIs, and MSIs that serve over 4 million students. This bipartisan, bicameral bill is the surest way for our institutions to continue funding, come Sept. 30.”

“Now that the FUTURE Act has passed the House, it is time for the Senate to act,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, UNCF’s vice president for public policy and government affairs. “We can be done with this bill this week if the Senate moves swiftly to pass the FUTURE Act. A vote for this bill is a vote for low-income, first-generation college students of color and for institutions that serve a large number of these students. These institutions are located across the country, touching the districts of nearly every single member of Congress. It is our hope that Congress acts as a pathway for passage of the FUTURE Act and not a roadblock leading to its failure.”

Title III, Part F, Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other Minority-Serving Institutions Program is a critical federal effort that provides funds that supplement institutional aid to HBCUs, with a priority on instructional programs in high-demand fields, including STEM, other computer-related sciences, nursing and allied health. These mandatory funds were originally established by the College Cost and Reduction Act for the years of 2008-2009, retained in the Higher Education Opportunity Act, and then extended until 2019 in the Health Care Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010.

UNCF launched a campaign called, “Protecting Our FUTURE,” to express support for the FUTURE Act. More information regarding this campaign can be found at UNCF.org/protectingourfuture. Because of this robust campaign, more than 12,000 supporters have been able to engage their members of Congress resulting in over 38,000 phone calls and emails combined and counting. Along with UNCF, continued funding for this program is supported by these organizations:

• Achieving the Dream, Inc.
• ACPA-College Student Educators International
• ACT, Inc.
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
• American Association of Community Colleges
• American Association of State Colleges and Universities
• American Association of University Professors
• American Council on Education
• American Dental Education Association
• American Indian Higher Education Consortium
• APPA, Leadership in Educational Facilities
• Association of American Colleges and Universities
• Association of American Universities
• Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
• Association of Community College Trustees
• Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges
• Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
• Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
• Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities
• College and University Professional Association for Human Resources
• Common App
• Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area
• Council for Advancement and Support of Education
• Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
• Council for Higher Education Accreditation
• Council for Opportunity in Education
• Council of Graduate Schools
• Council of Independent Colleges
• Council on Social Work Education
• EDUCAUSE
• ETS
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
• National Association for College Admission Counseling
• National Association of College and University Business Officers
• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities
• National Association of System Heads
• National Council for Community and Education Partnerships
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund
• UPCEA

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About UNCF
UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized trademark, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”^® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Twitter at @UNCF.