Congressman Cohen Supports Increased Funding for HBCUs

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from Davidson County for yielding and for bringing this amendment. There is still a critical need in this country for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

In my communities, the finest public school students traditionally are desirous of going to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We try to keep them in Tennessee with HOPE scholarships. We offer from $4,000 to $5,500 a year to stay in Tennessee. There are fine Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Lemoyne-Owen in my district, Fisk in Nashville, and Knoxville College up in East Tennessee. But most of them want to go out of State and go to Atlanta and come to this area to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It is still the first choice for most African American students.

We need to fund these schools at a higher level. They have not received increased funding over the last 5 or 6 years to speak of. The need has become greater and greater. These are students who need educational opportunities to move out and into the American dream.

I commend the gentleman from Davidson County for bringing this amendment, I am pleased to support it, and ask the chairman of the Appropriations Committee to see this great need which will help people who have not had an opportunity to share in the American dream as much as they should.