Clark Atlanta University has released a statement responding to Donald Trump’s claims that COVID-funding allocated to HBCUs via the CARES Act (The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act) and HEERF Funding (Higher Education Emergency Relief Funding) “saved” HBCUs.
The statement was posted to their social media accounts and read as followed.
“We are aware of the remarks made at the rally in Atlanta earlier by Former President Trump concerning our nation’s response to the international COVID crisis.
As amongst our nation’s 4,000 Higher Education institutions, multi-national corporations, hospitals and others to have benefited from CARES and HEERF bipartisan support garnered during the administration of Former President Trump, Clark Atlanta University is appreciative of such support, but was not “saved” by COVID funding.
As with our nation’s other 102 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Clark Atlanta University remains dedicated to our mission of student success and continued support at all levels of our Democracy.”
The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, allocated $2.2 trillion for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, with approximately $14 billion designated for the Office of Postsecondary Education under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
During the Trump administration, HBCU presidents and advocates sought funding through congressional efforts rather than direct proposals from the administration.
Key legislation like the CARES Act and the FUTURE Act, introduced by North Carolina A&T alumna Alma Adams that permanently increased funding for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions while raising Pell Grant appropriations, were enacted by Congress rather than being directly proposed by the Trump administration. David Sheppard, Chief Business and Legal Officer of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, discussed this matter in comments obtained by Inside Higher Ed.
“The Trump administration can be fairly credited with working with us in some ways … to provide certain funding for our schools, and we were able to accomplish some things,” Sheppard said. But the implication that the Trump administration initiated these policies is “where the exaggeration probably rears its head the most.”
