Laura Barros and Thien Do

Table of Contents
1. What is an HBCU?
2. History of HBCUs
3. About HBCUs
4. Reasons why students choose HBCUs
5. HBCU Graduates
6. HBCU Week
7. Resources
8. Kahoot!
What is an HBCU?
“…any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964,
whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans, and that is
accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association
determined by the Secretary [of Education] to be a reliable authority as to the
quality of training offered or is, according to such an agency or association,
making reasonable progress toward accreditation.”

- Tier III of the The Higher Education Act of 1965

History of HBCUs
● Segregation in schools
● Richard Humphreys - Cheyney University (1837)
● The majority of HBCUs originated from 1865-1900, with the greatest number
of HBCUs started in 1867, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation
● 89% of all HBCUs are in the southern region of the United States
● Historical challenges: Jim Crow, inadequate funding, deferred maintenance
and accreditation issues

(History of HBCUs, n.d.)

History of HBCUs

(Firelight Media, 2017)

About HBCUs
● 101 HBCUs across the nation
○ 90 - Four-year public and private colleges
○ 11 - Two-year community colleges
● 9% of African American college students attend
● Enrollment numbers that can range from less than 300 to over 11,000
students
● HBCUs play a critical role in the American system of higher education
○ For most of America’s history, African Americans seeking a college education could only get it
from an HBCU.
● Student population
○ 52% First Generation
○ 71% Low-income/Pell Grant Awardees (First-time, Full-time Degree Seeking Undergraduate).
○ 94% Awarded some type of financial aid (First-time, Full-time Degree Seeking
Undergraduate).
Reasons why students choose HBCUs
● Top notch education
● Supportive environment
● Affordability
○ Scholarships - United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
○ Grants and Loan
● Alumni Support and Networking

(Why Choose an HBCU., 2020)

Among African Americans, the following represents
HBCU graduates:
● 40% Members of Congress
● 12.5% CEO’s
● 40% Engineers
● 50% Professors at Non-HBCUs
● 50% Lawyers
● 80% Judges
HBCU Week
● The mission of HBCU Week is to encourage high-school aged youth to enroll
into HBCU’s, provide scholarship dollars for matriculation and sustain a
pipeline for employment from undergraduate school to corporate America.
● The most impactful event during HBCU Week is the HBCU College Fair.
● September 22-26, 2020
● https://www.hbcuweek.org/events/

(HBCU Week | The Week That Changes Lives., n.d.)

Resources
● List of HBCUs by State
○ https://hbculifestyle.com/list-of-hbcu-schools/
● 101 HBCU Scholarships: Find Money For College Today
○ https://hbculifestyle.com/101-minority-scholarships/
● Get Top HBCU Rankings News
○ https://hbculifestyle.com/category/hbcus/hbcu-rankings/
● Common Application for Black Colleges: Apply for over 50 HBCUs
○ https://hbculifestyle.com/common-black-college-application/

(Black College Resources, 2019)

Kahoot!
Celebrities who went to HBCUs (Scott, 2015)

https://play.kahoot.it/v2/?quizId=afaa1991-6ec4-423c-a3b6-c82b29780c44
References
About HBCUs. (n.d.). Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
https://www.tmcf.org/about-us/member-schools/about-hbcus/

Black College Resources. (2019). HBCU Lifestyle – Black College Living.

https://hbculifestyle.com/black-college-resources/

Firelight Media. (2017). Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges & Universities Official Full-Length
Trailer. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PNU6tlDi9g&ab_channel=FirelightMedia

HBCU Week | The Week That Changes Lives. (n.d.). HBCU Week. https://www.hbcuweek.org/

History of HBCUs. (n.d.). Thurgood Marshall College Fund. https://www.tmcf.org/history-of-hbcus/

Scott, S. (2015). 40 Celebs You Probably Didn’t Know Attended Black Colleges. BuzzFeed.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/sydneyscott/40-awesome-celebrities-who-attended-hbcus

What is an HBCU? | White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. (n.d.). U.S. Department
of Education. Retrieved September 22, 2020, from
https://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/one-hundred-and-five-historically-black-colleges-and-universities/