Southern University is not the only HBCU doing such outreach. The United Negro College Fund, an organization representing 37 private historically Black colleges and universities, recently launched a new initiative to bring 4,000 students back to HBCUs across the country to earn their degrees, aided by one-on-one coaching. The move mirrors other efforts by historically Black institutions to reclaim students who left, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected Black Americans at disproportionate rates in terms of infections and deaths, and led to job losses and other negative financial outcomes for low-income students and their families.
More than five million Black Americans aged 25 and older have some college but no degree, according to Census Bureau data released in 2020.
There’s a list of reasons why many people start college but don’t finish due to unforeseen circumstances. But Morehouse is launching an online initiative that will help Black men who have some college credits but need an extra push.
The Washington Post reported that the school will launch Morehouse Online this Summer, offering three initial courses to men who have attended Morehouse or other universities with some college experience.
The university’s president, David A. Thomas, said he was motivated to launch the initiative after speaking with an alumn who expressed his desire to finish but couldn’t put his life on pause.