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Research Outline
Prepared for Matthew | Delivered September 11, 2019
UNCF's Strategic Direction
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Goals
To understand United Negro College Fund's strategic direction and how best to aid students of color in higher education.
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Early Findings
UNCF generally operates a
three-prong
approach in its promotion of education for students of color: direct scholarships to students, financial support for
H
B
C
U
s
and advocacy.
Larry Griffith
specifically focuses on the organization's programs and student services.
Examining UNCF's
news page
and press releases from the past few months does not reveal any fundamental declaration in changing strategies for the student services arm of the UNCF.
HR 2740, which was promoted by UNCF, increased federal funding provisions for the "
neediest students
".
Broadening our search to wider press coverage relating to Mr. Griffith and the UNCF revealed that the UNCF generally depends upon
donors
and
fundraising
to fund its scholarships. This does not appear to have changed in recent years, as we found news stories from both this month and several years communicating the same strategy. UNCF's general "go forward" strategy, as announced at their 75th anniversary celebration earlier this year, surrounds continuing their promotion of HBCUs and, "
prioritizing
the sustainability and transformation of the UNCF network of powerful
H
B
C
U
s
so that we can continue to produce the next generation of leaders."
Their concrete goals, as
stated
by the president, are: "75 years from now UNCF seeks to have (1) doubled the number of students we have been able to get to and through college; (2) created generations of new leaders; and (3) secured a UNCF legislative and appropriations agenda that ensures all African American students will have equal education access."
The UNCF recently has been
focusing heavily
on funding STEM programs/students.
Students
receiving
UNCF funds have a 9-point higher graduation rate (70%) than the national average. The African-American national average is only
38%
.
75%
of UNCF's students come from households with incomes low enough to qualify for a Pell Grant, compared to 39% of all students. Additionally, "HBCU students borrow nearly twice as much in federal loans as their non-HBCU peers: $26,266 vs. $14,881."
Homelessness affects around
18%
of two-year college attendees and
14%
of four-year college attendees, nationally. Housing insecurity is estimated to affect up to 60% and 48%, respectively.
According to the same
survey
, the combination of food and housing insecurity affects
39%
of two-year college students and 30% of four-year college attendees.
Financial aid application figures show
68,000
students nationwide declare themselves homeless.
A research paper found that students of color experience much higher food insecurity than the national averages.
57%
of students of color reported food insecurity, compared to 40% non-Hispanic white students.
College completion rates vary by race, and Black students have the
lowest
among all
e
t
h
n
i
c
i
t
i
e
s
.
UNCF has not released any data specifically on how many of their scholarship awardees experience food or housing insecurity. The main statistics available are on Black college students in general.
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