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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia: Mr. Speaker, historically black colleges and universities play a pivotal role in America's higher education system and continue to educate many black American students as well as students of other races every year.
Today, we have over 100 historically black colleges and universities in the Nation, 5 percent of our colleges and universities; yet these institutions award almost 30 percent of all college degrees obtained by African Americans. In some areas of science, math and engineering, these colleges account for almost half or more of such degrees awarded to African Americans. HBCUs are also responsible for a large number of graduate and professional degrees earned by African Americans.
This bill will provide the necessary capital that will ensure that HBCUs have all of the options available to them in order to maintain their excellent standard of education.
This bill is supported by the Department of Education and three historically black college and university advocacy groups; the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, or NAFEO; Thurgood Marshall College Fund; and the United Negro College Fund.
I would like to thank the majority whip, Mr. Clyburn, and particularly thank the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, Mr. Miller, as well as their staffs who worked so hard to address this issue in a timely manner. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
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