How the Farm Bill can help to end the shortchanging of HBCUs

$544 million. 

That’s the amount that Tennessee State University — the only public HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in Tennessee— is owed by the state, according to a recent legislative study. For decades, the state has failed to meet its obligations to match, dollar-for-dollar, federal land-grant funds to TSU, resulting in a massive shortfall. Yet while TSU was starved for funds for 50+ years, its predominantly white land-grant counterpart, the University of Tennessee, received its full state match and more. 

Unfortunately, Tennessee is not alone. The nation’s 19 HBCU land-grant institutions have been shortchanged by billions of dollars in state and federal dollars that they were owed due to rampant, persistent racial discrimination. Congress has an opportunity to rectify these inequities this year through the renewal of the Farm Bill, which was last reauthorized in 2018.

The Farm Bill is the main vehicle by which the federal government supports the teaching and research of the nation’s 111 land-grant colleges and universities, a system that was first established by the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862. Black Americans were excluded from these institutions, however, which led to the passage of the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890, which created land-grant institutions for Black students. Yet while federal land and funds were set aside for the 1890 land grant institutions, allowing these schools to raise funds to grow their endowments and expand their campuses, no guaranteed land or funding was provided to them — discrimination that has persisted. 

In addition to not endowing historically Black land-grant schools with land or money, the federal government also let states off the hook in meeting their financial obligations. From the beginning, most states have failed to provide the 1:1 matching funds required by law, with some states only stepping up to the plate in the last year under heightened public scrutiny. 

Despite a legacy of limited and unequal state and federal support, HBCU land-grant colleges have helped nourish the nation and Black students for over a century. Today, the 1890 land grant institutions are leading critical research and educating emerging leaders in agriculture, environmental sciences, engineering and other STEM fields experiencing a growing need for talent. Five of the 19 schools — Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and Tuskegee University — are among the nation’s top 50 institutions producing Black graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees in science and engineering.  

Researchers at Fort Valley State University are developing novel strategies to reduce food-borne pathogens in animals before processing them for meat. At South Carolina State University, the next generation of agricultural scholars is tackling the climate crisis and its impact on agriculture. Other 1890 land grant institutions are addressing health disparities in the U.S. south, supporting low-income Black farmers and ranchers and developing treatments for diseases that are highly prevalent in Black communities, such as sickle cell and diabetes. The list goes on.

Still, decades of unequal treatment and billions of dollars in underfunding limit the potential of HBCU land grant schools. It means less money to support academic programs, student support, faculty capacity and badly needed technology and infrastructure upgrades. These inequities have compounded over time, forcing HBCU land grants to continuously scramble for funding. 

The reauthorization of the Farm Bill this year offers an opportunity for lawmakers who extol the virtues of HBCUs to match their words with action. As the 118th Congress begins its work, it must invest in these illustrious institutions and provide them with the funding needed to ensure their financial stability, independence and continued academic excellence. This investment should include historic equity adjustments to address the perpetual underfunding of the 1890 schools.

Fortunately, this shouldn’t be a heavy lift because HBCUs stand out as beacons of bipartisanship, as both sides of the aisle support these worthy institutions. It’s time to fulfill the original intent of the Morrill Act of 1890 — not just for the 19 historically Black land-grant institutions, but also for the citizens, communities, and country they serve.

Denise Smith is a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank, and a leading expert on HBCUs.