FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington, DC (September 10, 2019) – “Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) extends its appreciation to President Trump for acknowledging working with TMCF to restore much needed year-round Pell during his remarks at the 2019 National HBCU Week Conference. We also appreciate President Trump’s renewed commitment to increasing support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The most obvious way for the Administration to meet that commitment real-time is to leverage the White House’s influence with Congress to achieve passage of the FUTURE Act.
The FUTURE Act, if passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, will extend, for an additional two years, the mandatory portion of Title III funding (Title III, Part F) to all Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). However, without the requisite action by Congress by September 30, 2019, all MSIs will lose $255 million in federal financial support, with HBCUs are facing an $85 million fiscal “cliff” that will result in the loss of institutional jobs, opportunities for infrastructure creation and renewal, and a loss of material support for our students, most of whom are low-income, Pell-eligible or first-generation college students and many of whom are both.
Following the President’s initiative, as referenced by him today, we look forward to working with the White House and Congress to get the FUTURE Act passed and signed into law this month.” Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO.
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ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND
Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.
TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org.