Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is making her support for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) clear as Election Day quickly approaches.
In an exclusive op-ed on The Root, Clinton details her three-part plan while pointing out that Republican nominee Donald Trump has none. “Donald Trump has no plan to support HBCUs. His view of black communities is both ignorant and insulting,” she writes. “He says—to largely white audiences—that African-American neighborhoods are plagued by poverty, and that people get shot just walking down the street. He claims black communities suffer from ‘horrible education.’ He asks them, ‘What the hell do you have to lose?'”
To Clinton, like many in the African-American community, the answer is “a lot.” While the former Secretary of State debunks her opponent’s myth, she asserts that there is still work to do to reverse “unique barriers” faced by African Americans in pursuit of higher education.
In the effort to close achievement gaps, in which black students are less likely to graduate within six years, Clinton says her plan will allow scholars to attend in-state public universities tuition-free if their families make under $125,000 while ensuring all students the option to attend community college without cost. The plan also promises to grant graduates an opportunity to refinance their debt so they never have to pay more than 10 percent of their income.
The final component of the presidential candidate’s initiative includes “a historic $25 billion investment across all HBCUs—public and private” that will allow each institution to create fresh opportunities and provide additional support services to underserved students. “We ought to make it a national priority to provide a quality education to every single American—no matter what they look like, where they live or how much money they have,” she continues. “That’s the only way to make sure the next generation not only survives—but thrives—in the global economy.”
Read Hillary Clinton’s full plan for HBCUs here.