At least half of estimated funding must go directly to student aid

Warnock, Ossoff personally led push in Senate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, ensured funding is grants instead of loans

Washington, DC — Today, Georgia U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff announced nearly $85 million in funding they have secured for Georgia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities through the American Rescue Plan.

At least half of the funds must go directly to student aid as young people and families continue to endure displacement and economic distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sens. Warnock and Ossoff are champions for Georgia’s HBCUs and led the push in the U.S. Senate to ensure HBCUs had equitable access to federal COVID-19 relief funds in the form of direct grants.

President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan, including the HBCU grants, into law in March.

“As a proud graduate of Atlanta’s Morehouse College, I know personally how indispensable Georgia’s HBCUs are to our state’s economy and heritage, and the immense value HBCU graduates add to our workplaces and communities,” Senator Reverend Warnock said. “Our hardworking students have had to navigate the public health and economic challenges of the on-going pandemic for the past year, and this critical support from the federal government is an important hand up that will help them pursue their education, strengthen our state’s workforce, and keep our economy moving forward. I am proud of the work Senator Ossoff and I did to secure this funding for HBCU students from Savannah State University to Clark Atlanta University and everywhere in between, and I cannot wait to see how this funding will help our HBCUs and their students excel today and into the future.”

“Historically Black Colleges and Universities are gems in our nation’s system of higher education,” Senator Ossoff said. “Georgia’s HBCUs can count on me to fight for them.”

Please find a breakdown of the funding below:

• Total Distribution to Georgia HBCUs: $84,569,878
• Total Minimum Amount for Student Grants: $42,763,731

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