A group of students from North Carolina's Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) spent a day at the state legislature Wednesday to advocate for funding and policies to support their education and voting access.
At a press conference hosted by members of North Carolina's HBCU Caucus on Wednesday afternoon, students called for:
- funding to improve facilities at HBCUs
- funding for scholarships to HBCU students
- funding for a Completion Assistance Program
- opposition to a bill that would criminalize voter registration drives
- fair mapping for voting districts that affect college students
An omnibus HBCU bill by House Democrats that hasn't moved this session would fund about $23 million for facility improvements at Winston-Salem State University and Elizabeth City State University and proposes $5 million in funding to establish a permanent Completion Assistance Program at six UNC System universities.
Fayetteville State University student Kaylan Gaines spoke in favor of funding for the Completion Assistance Program - which helps students who need less than a thousand dollars to pay school bills to stay enrolled.
"Personally, this is an issue for me," Gaines said. "I've heard so many stories of my peers expressing their concerns of covering the cost of attendance."
Democratic Senator Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) said he's glad to see facility funding for HBCUs in state budget proposals, but said he's still pushing to fund the Completion Assistance Program.
"Because it is a real serious thing to have a student get to the edge and life gets in the way, and they just need a little boost to get over," Lowe said.
The Senate's budget proposal also includes a $9.5 million cut to an existing scholarship program that sends a significant amount of scholarship funding to students at the UNC System's five HBCUs.
If that proposal goes through, students at Elizabeth City State University would lose about $1.5 million in available scholarships. Fayetteville State, N.C. A&T State, N.C. Central and Winston-Salem State Universities would lose about $400,000 each for their students.
Voting access on college campuses
College students also spoke out for voting access on HBCU campuses. N.C. A&T State University student Mackenzy Grant said she looks forward to the start of the trial in North Carolina NAACP v. Berger, which accuses the state legislature of illegal gerrymandering that dilutes Black voters' voting power.
"This moment exemplifies the need for the North Carolina General Assembly to take action to establish a redistricting process that is truly by the people and for the people," Grant said.
Grant recalled that from 2016 to 2019, N.C. A&T's campus was divided into two different Congressional districts.
N.C. A&T State University student Nyla Hankins spoke against House Bill 127, which would make it a misdemeanor for individuals and organizations to distribute official voter registration forms as part of registration drives in their community.
"Restricting access to voter registration will hinder young people's engagement with elections in North Carolina," Hankins said.
That Republican-sponsored bill has also not moved this legislative session, but Rep. Zack Hawkins (D-Durham) indicated that he's concerned it could be resurrected later.
"It's a zombie right now," Hawkins said.
