Just when we thought North Carolina couldn’t be any more bigoted with the recent passing of HB2, an anti-LBTQ law, here we are yet again. The North Carolina General Assembly has introduced a bill called the “Access to Affordable College Education Act.” This sounds really great, right? Plot twist — this bill actually serves as a means to drastically decrease funding for the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Schools affected by Senate Bill 873 are Winston-Salem State University, UNC-Pembroke, Fayetteville State University, Elizabeth City State University, and Western Carolina University. Notice anything about the schools listed? I think Western Carolina was thrown in the mix to distract from the fact that four out of the five schools are historically geared towards educating and supporting Black and Native American college students. The bill would result in these schools having a tuition of $500 a semester for in-state students, and only $2500 a semester for out-of-state students. Carolina students probably make more than that in work-study opportunities each semester.
The result of this would not only be millions of dollars lost by the state, but also the schools would have to cut certain programs. If programs are dropped, students would be less compelled to go to these schools. I don’t think many people would want to go to a four-year university that would essentially be funded and treated like a community college. If enrollment isn’t up to par, the universities will be closed down. Do you see where I’m going with this?
Oh, but that’s not all. Remember the coward 16-year old that has been placed on renaming historic buildings on university campuses? I’m hoping the issue with Hurston Hall (yes, Hurston) is still fresh in everyone’s mind. Senators have decided that the buildings on the campus must represent the diversity of the student body in order to keep the name. If they feel the names of the buildings don’t accurately depict the makeup of the student body, they will take it upon themselves to rename them. This is interesting considering that I am writing this piece as Silent Sam still towers over the quad, but I digress.
I don’t appreciate the never-ending attack on HBCUs. HBCUs are the first schools to be impacted by budget cuts. It’s not just in North Carolina — nationwide, HBCUs are attacked and get the short end of the stick for funding, hence why there aren’t many scholarship opportunities for these schools. All in all, this whole façade of North Carolina trying to “help” low-income families is just a strategic plan to rid the UNC system of some of the best schools it has to offer.
