Economy Hits Hard on Black Campuses

While your campus might be cutting back from eating brie to cheddar, at HBCUs "you might not have any cheese left." A New York Times reporter finds that HBCUs may be having a more difficult time with budget and resource cuts that most other institutions:

Clark Atlanta University, citing an “enrollment emergency,” laid off 70 faculty and 30 staff members this month and canceled physical education classes. Spelman, an Atlanta college for women that is among the wealthiest and most prestigious historically black colleges, has eliminated 35 staff positions and is projecting a $4.8 million deficit next year after a decline in its enrollment.

Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Ala., announced campuswide salary reductions and a furlough program, among other cuts, last week. Tennessee State University in Nashville, where enrollment is down 10 percent from last year, has eliminated 52 positions and is considering a reduction in scholarship money.

Colleges and universities of all kinds across the country are facing shrunken endowments, decreased giving and government cutbacks, and many have reduced their payroll and list of classes. But historically black institutions have two significant disadvantages when it comes to weathering hard times: smaller endowments, which mean heavier reliance on tuition and fees, and a higher proportion of disadvantaged students who are now facing a credit crunch when they apply for loans.