President Biden Announces $1.3 Billion Investment into HBCUs at 2024 HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA —
President Joe Biden made a historic announcement at the 2024 HBCU Week Conference in Philadelphia, unveiling an additional $1.3 billion investment into Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The President addressed an enthusiastic crowd at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where he highlighted his administration’s record-breaking support for HBCUs, bringing the total investment to $17 billion since 2021.

“In just four years, working with HBCU leaders, we’re making the most significant investment in Black America ever in American history,” Biden declared to a wave of applause. The new funding will include federal grants to help eight HBCUs expand their efforts to diversify the STEM and education workforce, marking a major step forward in elevating these institutions’ contributions to the nation’s future.

Dietra Trent, Director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs, also underscored the importance of this commitment, stating, “We have never had this kind of investment before.”

HBCU alumni in attendance, like Cheney University graduate Antoine Mapp, expressed their excitement: “We’re finally getting the recognition and funding that we deserve and desperately needed.”

Biden’s remarks also touched on the urgency of protecting democracy, condemning political violence and referencing a recent apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The President closed his speech with a hopeful nod to Vice President Kamala Harris, an HBCU alumna, encouraging voters to support her potential presidential candidacy.

With this unprecedented funding, President Biden is ensuring HBCUs remain a cornerstone of educational excellence and opportunity for generations to come.