WGXA Macon
By: Haley Garrett
ATLANTA, Ga. — Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Jon Ossoff discussed his plans to invest and strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities(HBCUs).
He plans to help aid HBCUs in not just Georgia but around the country especially in light of the severe impact of COVID-19. “These institutions were born of necessity due to segregation and have grown into pillars in for the black community,” said Ossoff.
His plan focuses on:
- Tuition affordability
- Facilities and technology
- Program expansion in vital fields to train STEM professionals, health care workers, and educators
- Endowment growth
Ossoff says that he wants “to deliver substantial resources to make tuition affordable and debt-free.”
He says while HBCUs already receive federal support, he thinks it should be expanded.
Ossoff says that especially amid a pandemic, healthcare workers are a necessity, and investing in HBCUs is a must.
He also wants to focus on training educators. Ossoff says that black children who have black teachers to look up to as role models of great necessity.
“Research is clear black students who have black teachers are more likely to graduate high school,” said Ossoff.
In the Senate, Ossoff will use this plan as a framework for his legislative approach to supporting Georgia’s HBCUs and HBCUs nationwide.
