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Officials of the U.S. Education Department met last week with leaders of groups that represent historically black colleges, and appear to have resolved concerns over federal grants (known as Title III, Part B) that are awarded to HBCUs for a variety of purposes, including renovation and construction of facilities. Leaders of black college groups (as first reported by HBCU Digest) sent a letter to the department last week in which they said that the department appeared to be changing the rules on the grants, and limiting the ability of colleges to stretch out the time over which they completed projects paid for in part with the grant money. The letter complained that what colleges saw as a change was being made with little notice or discussion. Department officials, however, said that there was no policy change. They said that prior administrations may not have enforced the rules with regard to the program, which are set by law, and that this administration did not change the law.
However, participants in the meeting told Inside Higher Ed that Education Department officials were able to assure the black college groups by pledging that there would be a grandfather period (details to be arranged) so that colleges nearing the end of their original grant term need not worry about problems posed by the change in enforcement of the rules for the grants.
