The state of North Carolina has an obligation to preserve the state of its historically black colleges and universities. As the state with the most HBCUs in the nation — 11 total, including five public universities and the top HBCU in the country — North Carolina has the most to gain by maintaining the status and legacy that comes along with this title.
As the UNC system discusses increasing out-of-state enrollment across the board, officials should take a long, hard look at considering how that increase could benefit HBCUs especially.
Loosening up the cap could improve some financial struggles at HBCUs. Budget cuts to the UNC system have impacted HBCUs hard, leading to lowered enrollment and difficulty attracting faculty.
For example, Elizabeth City State University is close to the cap, proving that the school isn’t having trouble attracting out-of-state students — it just needs the approval to surpass the cap. The knowledge that these schools would be looking for more out-of-state students could be a factor in attracting more applicants as well.
Each of these historically black schools have spent the entirety of their existence taking up the task of educating minority students and preparing them for the work force. The unique position held by these schools in the African-American community cannot be overlooked nor underestimated.
If HBCUs are having trouble providing services to the community they aim to educate, then the UNC system cannot afford not to take action, and is in fact obligated to quickly find solutions to improve the schools that make up a significant portion of the system.
Changing the cap is but one solution. It might not be the ultimate fix, but it is a start to a long and ultimately rewarding process.
