UNCF Commends the Passage of the FUTURE Act

Washington, DC, Sept. 17, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 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 September 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 https://www.uncf.org/protectingourfuture. Because of this robust campaign, over 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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