UNCF Unveils HBCU Issues Guide

Pile of lapel pin buttons that say vote

Urges students, families, faculty and staff to get engaged 

Today, UNCF published an online issues guide (HBCU Issues Guide) to provide students, families, alumni, faculty and staff of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with pertinent questions to ask candidates who are running for office when they visit campuses. The guide also includes UNCF policy positions to allow users to better understand the issues impacting higher education and UNCF’s desired solutions.

“During my time as president of UNCF, I have seen a multitude of candidates visit the campuses of HBCUs to deliver speeches to the students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO. “Oftentimes, these speeches share a candidate’s platform on issues pertaining to higher education and to seek support. Unfortunately, what I have witnessed from a number of candidates are shared policies that actually prove to be detrimental for HBCUs, their students and staff. It is because of this that I found it necessary for UNCF to produce an HBCU Issues Guide to inform others of the questions they should ask and the answers they should receive.”

“The voices of those served by HBCUs are vital to any candidate running for any office,” said Lodriguez V. Murray, UNCF’s senior vice president of public policy and government affairs. “Our issues are not just our issues, but they are issues that deserve the proper research, analyses and solutions. For every Congress, UNCF produces a public policy document that highlights the policy solutions for our policymakers. We have transformed this document into a question and answer format to ensure that those served by HBCUs are guided in their discussions with candidates visiting their campuses. It is our hope that this HBCU Issues Guide will help foster a robust conversation.”

The HBCU Issues Guide (UNCF.org/HBCUIssuesGuide) consists of questions about issues ranging from the Pell grant and funding in Title III of the Higher Education Act to the Historic Preservation Program and student loan repayment plans. UNCF provides an answer to each question for the user to view in order to compare and contrast the responses of the candidates running for office.

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About UNCF
UNCF (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, 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, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”® Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities. Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous news and updates, follow UNCF on Twitter @UNCF.