Fostering Undergraduate Talent By Unlocking Resources for Education Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams) and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for their continued leadership of this bill, specifically, and with the HBCU Caucus, generally.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation to preserve funding for historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. These institutions play a critical role in expanding access to higher education for low-income students and students of color.

Collectively, they educate more than one-quarter of all graduates, nearly 6 million students, including many in our Nation's underserved the communities. Typically, these under-resourced schools educate first-time college attendees, many of whom hail from impoverished communities.

The funding that supports minority-serving institutions is the only program authorized in the Higher Education Act that expires if not reauthorized this year. Accordingly, if Congress fails to pass this bill by September 30, these historic institutions will suffer a $255 million shortfall, causing lost jobs, lost opportunities, and diminished financial support for students across the country.

Members of this body often speak glowingly about the role of HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. And today, we have an opportunity to back those words with action. The FUTURE Act, which is fully paid for, preserves vital investments in minority-serving institutions, as well as the students and communities they serve.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source