The total number of
undergraduate college students
in the U.S. Has dropped by
almost 10% during the pandemic.
But it's been a different story
for some time at many
historically black colleges and
univerisites, or hbcu's., where
interest and funding have
increased.
Applications were up nearly 30%
at many of these schools between
2018 and 2021.
And top-tier hbcu's are
increasingly becoming the first
choice for some of the country's
most sought-after students.
Yet, hbcu's face some
fundamental challenges too.
Special correspondent hari
sreenivasan has this report, the
first in our latest series on
rethinking college.
Reporter:
>> Harvard, yell, dude.
>> Right down the street.
Vanderbilt.
Reporter: These are the places
they turned down to come to
Spelman college, and all limits
HCP -- HCP you.
-- Hcbu.
>> We have already shown our
excellence.
>> In high school I noticed if I
had good academic standing or
success it was like wow, I did
not know I could do that.
Reporter: On the premed track,
it was her experience that the
majority white high school
letter here.
>> I had the responsibility to
represent for the black
community and speak for other
people about their experiences.
It was very exhausting having to
represent all of the time.
Reporter: Patrick said her
parents were split on her
decision.
Her dad favored Harvard.
>> The percent of black students
at ivies is very small.
That could be a daunting
statistic for people who look
like me, I'm going to have to
prove myself at every step of
the way.
Reporter: In 2014, more than
4000 people applied.
In 2021, it nearly tripled with
11,000 applicants.
An epidemiologist spent her
career in government and
nonprofit roles.
She views with happening as a
reflection of the rapid social
change in the country.
>> This is a generation that
grew up with a black president.
Has gone through social unrest
following the murder of George
Floyd, the movement around black
lives.
Young people are choosing to be
in a place that nurtures them,
recognizes who they are in the
world and thinks about how they
can make this generation
>> The student pool comes as no
surprise to a proud alumnus and
chair of the board of trustees.
>> Talent pools have been very
similar to Yale and Harvard.
Spelman is a choice.
Reporter: Before becoming CEO of
drugstores, she has held top
positions at Starbucks and Sam's
>> 10% is graduating phi beta
kappa.
You would not see 50 black women
graduate that from Harvard or
Yale.
Reporter: A first-generation
college graduate is one of only
two black females running
fortune 500 companies.
>> There is something deep in my
gut around taking on big
challenges.
I am not afraid of those.
Reporter: While hcbu's cap for
just 3% of secondary educations,
they produce 13% of all
African-American undergraduate
degrees.
>> It's clearly racial justice
to attend to the ways in which
African-Americans cannot attend
white colleges.
Reporter: A professor has been
teaching at Spelman for more
than 50 years.
>> They see a black college
president and here over and over
again this is a place made for
Reporter: More than 60% of
students are Pell grant
eligible, and tuitions 30% lower
than predominately white
institutions.
They also enroll more
academically underprepared
students.
>> We punch above our weight.
Women think about what we are
able to turn out with less
resources than many of our peers
.
Reporter: There are still
challenges.
With less financial help and for
smaller endowments.
>> It's been biased from the
beginning.
You can look at state
institutions that are black and
white and there has always been
a huge gap.
We don't have adequate housing.
We don't always have adequate
infrastructure.
Reporter: Federal lawmakers have
increased funding providing
nearly $2 billion since 2017 as
well as an additional $2.7
billion this year in emergency
relief.
Alumni and philanthropists have
donated $1 billion in recent
years, funding scholarships and
programs.
It is still not enough.
>> There have been lawsuits that
found the system was
underfunded.
Reporter: She co-authored a
recent report calling for more
funding.
>> We did a survey and found a
majority of institutions had $5
million in maintenance.
We still need those unrestricted
funds to take care of the
facilities and upgrade
institutions in a way where we
can retain students who have
increased enrollments.
>> Better known colleges are not
in danger.
But other institutions have not
experienced the same surge in
interest.
>> One third, 30 to 35 of them
were in the red zone.
There were tuition-driven.
For an institution to be
tuition-driven is like an
individual living paycheck to
paycheck.
Reporter: John served as the
president of Morehouse college
and a white house advisor.
He is writing a book and says
the schools should seize the
moment.
>> We have seen it come and go
in cycles.
To a back to the 1980's with
Ronald Reagan, it was more
racially hostile.
The ideal is for hcbu's of their
own magnetism, to not be subject
to the whims of the marketplace.
Reporter: Hcbu's play a broader
role in society with a history
of propelling black students
into the middle class.
>> Social movements have
transformed.
They can go from the bottom to
middle class because of the
tools and skills they get.
Spelman is an incubator.
>> To the extent the U.S.
Remains hostile to people who
are different, you need special
mission institutions.
You need women's colleges,
travel colleges.
Reporter: Despite the
challenges, it came down to
something basic.
>> I am able to look around and
feel like the people around me
understand me.
I can feel a sense of belonging.
Reporter: It's a powerful reason