What’s A TCU? HBCU?

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Dear Leading Ladies,

When President Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress last Wednesday night, he talked passionately about the importance of expanding educational opportunity by providing free preschool and postsecondary schooling. He pointed to research showing that two years of preschool and post-high school training expands a child’s lifelong learning and earning achievements. It is a game changer not just for the individuals in school but for our economy, our levels of incarceration, our drug and alcohol problems, and more.

At Leading Ladies, equity in education is one of our seven areas of focus, so we are more than pleased to hear the president’s commitment to it.

Photo credit: Goodmorningamerica.com

Included in the president’s plan is funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) as well as for tribal colleges (TCUs) and universities. We realized that we knew very little about either of these types of schools. So we did some research we would like to pass on.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

When we think of HBCUs, the schools that come to mind are usually Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, Tuskegee, and maybe Lincoln and Fisk. After a bit of research, we learned that there are actually more than 100 HBCUs. The first was founded in Pennsylvania in 1837 and offered a trade-oriented education. Many followed in Pennsylvania and Ohio, then in North Carolina and other southern states after the Civil War. “Although these institutions were called “universities” or “institutes” from their founding, a major part of their mission in the early years was to provide elementary and secondary schooling for students who had no previous education. It was not until the early 1900s that HBCUs began to offer courses and programs at the postsecondary level,” according to the US Department of Education. Today, more than 80 of the schools are four-year institutions; 20+ are two-year schools.

“…It was not until the early 1900s that HBCUs began to offer courses and programs at the postsecondary level”

These schools have produced some of the most accomplished African Americans in history. People like our vice president, Kamala Harris, were educated at HBCUs (Howard, for her), as were Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall (Lincoln), civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (Morehouse), author Alice Walker (Spelman), Jesse Jackson (North Carolina A&T), poet Langston Hughes (Lincoln), author Toni Morrison (Howard), media powerhouse Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State), filmmaker Spike Lee (Morehouse), and scores of others.

And today, the positive role of HBCUs continues. According to an article in The Atlantic, although HBCUs “account for just 3 percent of four-year nonprofit colleges, their alumni account for roughly 80 percent of black judges and 50 percent of black lawyers and doctors, and their students account for 25 percent of black undergraduates who earn degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).”

Although the Civil Rights laws of the 1960s and affirmative action opened the doors of colleges and universities throughout the country to students of color, HBCUs still attract talented and exceptional Black students. Why? Many point to the comfort they feel being in a place where they can excel and express themselves without apology, never feeling like someone will assume they are there because of affirmative action or taking the place of someone white who is smarter. They also point to the social scene that feels freeing, including a rich fraternity and sorority life that promotes Black culture through dance, music, and song, along with community building. Take a look here.

Clearly, making sure that HBCUs receive the funding to continue educating Black students of aptitude and ambition is a key priority. It is important that these schools receive at least as much as their counterparts in federal funds since they serve a population proportionately more in need of financial aid.

Tribal Colleges and Universities

We knew even less about Tribal Colleges (TCUs). The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), according to the tribalcollegejournal.org, has grown to “38 tribally controlled colleges and universities, operating 77 campuses, and now serving 70,000 students and community members.” They are all located on or near reservations from Michigan to California, and Arizona to Alaska. Other sources list the number of accredited tribal colleges as 32, with one more pending accreditation.

Tribal colleges grew out of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of the 1960s when a new generation of Native Americans sought self-determination and recognition. The first school, now called Diné College, was founded in 1968 on a reservation in Arizona. Many more quickly followed. Between 1982 and 2003, enrollment increased from 2,100 to 30,000, assisted by the return of many to life on reservations.

From the beginning, there was controversy about whether the curriculum should parallel that in non-tribal institutions or reflect unique Indian culture and tradition. By the 1970s, the latter choice prevailed, though preparation for professional careers is also important. For example, the journal describes a new baccalaureate program in Aaniiih Nakoda ecology that “is blending cutting edge science with traditional knowledge, while offering myriad field work opportunities in Montana and abroad that enhance student learning and improve sustainability on the Fort Belknap reservation.” And Diné College’s new BFA program is using the arts to perpetuate the “connection to the land that is central to Navajo culture, kinship, and identity” in order “to forge a more sustainable community.”

Many of the colleges are trying to preserve and bring back the native languages, offering courses on campus and even in elementary schools. The schools are also addressing the alcohol and drug problems that plague the native population and reservations, serving as obstacles to academic achievement. Currently, less than 14% of Native Americans earn college degrees. Hope4College recently surveyed seven TCUs. The results showed that 62% of respondents were food insecure in the past 30 days (vs 39% at other types of institutions); 69% were housing insecure in the past year (vs 46%); and 30% were homeless in the past year (vs 17%). Clearly, this is a particularly vulnerable student population.

Currently, less than 14% of Native Americans earn college degrees.

On the plus side, a TCU education is a bargain with annual tuition between $2,000 and $5,000, and 85% of students receiving federal financial aid, according to AIHEC. Moreover, all TCUs offer associate degree programs; 14 offer baccalaureate programs; and five offer master’s degree programs. And the schools are all controlled by the tribes.

But here’s the rub. After 400 years of broken treaties, including ceding one billion acres of land to the white man, TCUs remain underfunded and unable to provide the infrastructure necessary to adequately educate its young people to assume jobs and responsibilities to advance themselves and their communities. The funding they receive from the US government is “still short of the Congressionally authorized enrollment-driven funding level for basic institutional operations,” according to the AIHEC.

Who knew?

Now that we know more, we feel even more adamant in our support of HBCUs and TCUs and the need for making education at these institutions fully accessible without financial obstacles.

Before we close, we want to share a profile of one TCU student. You can read about other students here.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College student Chase Stevens (Saginaw Chippewa Descendant) is emblematic of the success SCTC strives for in student achievement. Projected to graduate in spring 2018 with a 4.0 GPA, Chase has earned the admiration and respect of his peers, the college community, and the larger tribal community. Coming to SCTC after serving four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chase had already distinguished himself as a role model for other native males. He has taken advantage of the Environmental Science Research Scholarship (ESRS) offered each semester at SCTC. Through this scholarship, Chase was placed into the tribe’s Environmental Planning Department for his internship. The department was so impressed with him, that he was able to parlay that opportunity into a paid position with that department as the Invasive Species Coordinator while he works concurrently to finish his degree in Native American studies.

This week, we recommend you watch

the PBS production of “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” Available on
Amazon Prime and Youtube or you can purchase the DVD from Amazon.

Stay safe and well. Isn’t it nice to have hope again?

Therese Melden
Judy Klein
Mary Barthelmes
Beth Forbes
Leading Ladies Executive Team
ladies@leadingladiesvote.org
Leadingladiesvote.org