Last week, Congressman Rich McCormick (GA-07) introduced the HBCU Empowerment and Reform Act in Washington. The proposed legislation aims to update federal definitions under the Higher Education Act of 1965 to address fairness for students at historically underserved institutions.
Currently, schools are classified as either Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) or Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs). Many PBIs serve a majority of African American students but are excluded from HBCU designation because they were founded after the 1964 cutoff date.
The new bill proposes moving the eligibility date to November 8, 1965, aligning it with the signing of the Higher Education Act. This adjustment would allow certain PBIs that narrowly missed the original cutoff to qualify for HBCU status and receive additional support for their students.
“As a former student body president of Morehouse School of Medicine, I am honored to introduce this transformative piece of legislation. Updating outdated federal definitions to ensure fairness for students at historically underserved institutions has been a priority of mine since coming to Congress. I look forward to seeing stronger, more support for their students,” said Congressman McCormick.
McCormick has represented Georgia’s 6th district in Congress since 2023, after defeating Bob Christian in the 2024 general election with nearly 65% of the vote. He succeeded Lucy McBath in this role. Born in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1968, McCormick is currently 54 years old and resides in Suwanee. He holds degrees from Oregon State University and National University.
A recording of Congressman McCormick’s floor speech on the HBCU Empowerment & Reform Act is available online.
