Georgia has 10 historically Black colleges and universities, one of the largest totals in the nation. While most of them are private, three of those schools are public and part of the University System of Georgia, which receives state funding to operate.
The heads of two federal departments wrote a letter Monday to the governors of several states, including Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, raising concerns that land-grant HBCUs have been underfunded by their states. Georgia has one land-grant HBCU, Fort Valley State University.
The state budget approved earlier this year provided funding for the schools in the fiscal year budget that began July 1. The University System’s state funding is based largely on enrollment. Throughout the system, state dollars pay for roughly 57% of the cost of educating a student, with tuition providing the remainder. Back in fiscal year 2001, state funding covered about 75% of that cost, but declined amid the Great Recession.
Fort Valley State, which had about 2,600 students last year, has one of the smallest enrollments in the University System. Its total current budget is roughly $88 million. Three of Georgia’s largest schools — Georgia State University, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia — have total budgets exceeding $1 billion.
Here’s a breakdown of the state funding and enrollment of Georgia’s HBCUs that are funded through its University System:
| School | Enrollment* | Total Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Albany State University | 6,358 | $165,061,697 |
| Fort Valley State University | 2,609 | $88,951,665 |
| Savannah State University | 2,962 | $79,125,970 |
* The enrollment numbers were for the Fall 2022 semester.
