N.C. Central University and other minority institutions are in danger of losing millions of dollars next year if the Republican-led House appropriations committee has its way in the 2012 fiscal year.
If passed the cuts would terminate U.S. Education Department programs for tribal colleges and significantly reduce funds for HBCUs, especially Title III funds.
If the plan passes, the Strengthening HBCUs program funding would be cut from $236 million to $152 million in the 2012 fiscal year, according to Diverse Education magazine.
The House GOP plan would also eliminate a $9.6 million program for HBCUs, a $26 million tribal college program, a $13 million aid program for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, a $ 3.2 million program for colleges with significant enrollments of Asian American/Pacific Islander students, and a $3.2 million initiative for nontribal institutions with significant Native American enrollments.
"In these harsh economic times we need to do better with the way we manage our money, but I do not believe that cutting the 36 percent of Title III funding [is the step to take]," said SGA vice president Carmelo Montalvo.
Title III is a federal grant program designed to improve education. The Program has two parts, A which helps institutes of higher education to become self-sufficient and serve low income students by providing funds to improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management and fiscal stability of eligible institutions.
Part B is geared toward strengthening HBCU's with assistance to strengthen their physical plants, financial management and academic resources.
The man behind the cuts is House appropriation chairman Hal Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky's 5th district.
Rogers told Diverse Education, that the proposal makes tough but necessary choices in setting federal priorities.
"To protect critical programs and services that many Americans rely on especially in this time of financial crisis — the bill takes decisive action to cut duplicative, inefficient and wasteful spending to help get these agency budgets onto sustainable financial footing," he said.
But Rogers hasn't always shown such fiscal restraint.
According to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Rogers has funneled $236 million in federal funds to nonprofit groups, business associates, donors and current and former aids since the year 2000.
Chancellor Charlie Nelms was so concerned by the possible cuts he sent a campus-wide call for NCCU students, faculty and staff encouraging to contact their congress members.
"We cannot sit in stunned disbelief as our lawmakers choose to subvert the interests of the people they were elected to serve," wrote Nelms.
"Now is the time to tell our elected officials to invest in education as the essential building block of the human infrastructure necessary for future prosperity."
Federal Title III help fund several NCCU programs at NCCU including, WNCU, Centennial Scholars, and University College.
According to Norma Petway, director of the Quality Service Initiative, Title III funding is critical to the QSI initiative because it pays for staff training.
"Without the training staff, QSI will almost come to a complete stop," said Petway, adding that constituents of the University need to contact their representatives.
"If we as a country continue to say our education is what fuels our economic success, we can't keep cutting into our higher education," said Montalvo.
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