Interest in North Carolina’s HBCUs on rise
Early trends point to Supreme Court decision as a factor
Several of North Carolina’s historically Black universities are seeing an increase in interest this application cycle — the first since the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions was ruled unconstitutional.
Less than a year removed from the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, it’s still too early to gauge the full impact at HBCUs and other colleges. But the early trend in North Carolina aligns with predictions from some college administrators and admissions professionals it could lead to an influx of applications at HBCUs.
The reasoning is generally that, with highly selective, predominantly white colleges likely to admit fewer students of color, they could be more likely to consider schools that place them — and their wellbeing and success — at the forefront of their missions.
“I think the ruling sends a message to people about whether or not they even want to apply, whether or not they feel valued, how they will be treated, more so than was already the case at predominantly white institutions, because issues of belonging, inclusion, equity have always been problematic,” said Joy Gaston Gayles, an N.C. State University professor who researches issues of equity, inclusion and justice in higher education.
At least four North Carolina HBCUs have seen increases in applications from prospective undergraduate students this cycle. Another has seen an increase in applications from prospective graduate students.
Admissions professionals were reluctant to link the increased applications at their institutions to the Supreme Court ruling — instead highlighting other factors, such as highly intentional recruitment efforts and unique academic offerings.
In some cases, the numbers align with the 9% year-over-year increase in applications — and the 12% increase in applications from underrepresented minority students — reported nationally in January by the Common Application, a membership-based college application platform used by more than 1,000 U.S. colleges.
Applications aren’t a flawless method to fully understand interest in a school. Higher education groups, including the national College Board and the College Foundation of North Carolina, generally recommend students apply to at least five or six colleges.
North Carolina’s five public HBCUs, all part of the UNC System, were asked for the number of applications they have received this cycle, compared to last, from students who intend to enter the universities as first-year students.
Elizabeth City State University in late February had received about 500 more applications, an increase of nearly 9%, compared with the previous year, admissions director Arlinda Halfacre said.
N.C. A&T in early February had seen a 12% year-over-year increase in applications, said Joseph Montgomery, associate vice provost for enrollment management. He declined to share the number of applications the university has received this cycle, citing the university’s plan to continue to take applications until later this spring.
As the country’s largest HBCU, the university has seen applications increase for at least the past decade, Montgomery said. Chancellor Harold Martin said in September that 40,000 prospective students sought admission for the current academic year. More than 13,800 students are enrolled this year.
Fayetteville State University had received about 1,000 more applications this cycle compared with last year, media relations director Devon Smith said, an increase of about 18%.
N.C. Central University in mid-February had received more than 20,000 applications this cycle from prospective firstyear students, nearly 27% more than the previous year, communications and marketing director Quiana Shepard said.
Winston-Salem State University in early March had received about 9,400 applications from prospective first-year students, a decrease of 3% from the previous year, according to imedia relations director Kimberly Harrington. But the university had received 376 applications from prospective graduate students, an increase of 41% from last year.
Applications to UNC-Chapel Hill were up 15% in January compared with the previous year, according to interim Chancellor Lee Roberts. Applications to N.C. State University were up 9% from the previous year.
N.C. Central, in Durham, saw the largest percent-increase in applications of any of state’s five public HBCUs in the state, based on the information provided.
Michael Bailey, NCCU director of undergraduate admissions, said that came from “extremely intentional,” data-driven efforts to recruit prospective students and expand the university’s outreach across the state.
The thought behind the targeted approach is to “increase our applicant pool at the top of the funnel” and thus increase enrollment, Bailey said. The university has been identified as one of five in the 16-university UNC System that are “most impacted by changing enrollment patterns,” which can impact the amount of state funding it receives.
Like Montgomery at NC A&T, Bailey said it was these such efforts — not the Supreme Court ruling — that led to the increase in interest from applicants.
Ahead of the Supreme Court decision last June, experts predicted that selective colleges might increase their focus on applicants’ socioeconomic status or geographic location to continue assembling diverse student bodies without considering race. Bailey said, for example, the predominately white colleges might increase their recruitment efforts in North Carolina’s most economically distressed counties.
Gayles said focusing on such factors could lead to more “competition” in recruitment among HBCUs and predominantly white colleges, but noted it’s too early to understand the full impact.
“I think institutions are still trying to figure out what approaches they might take, if diversity, equity, inclusion is a value that they hold,” Gayles said.
Two of the universities, Fayetteville State and Elizabeth City State, are part of the NC Promise tuition plan, which offers significantly discounted tuition rates of $1,000 per year for in-state students and $5,000 per year for out-of-state students. Fayetteville State also offers free tuition to military-affiliated students, a program launched two years ago.
At Elizabeth City State, where the university is permitted by the UNC System to have a student body with an equal number of in-state and out-of-state students, the program has allowed the university to expand its reach into bordering states.
“We’re going to be more affordable to them, so that’s definitely a draw,” Halfacre, ECSU’s director of admissions, said.
The universities also said they highlight unique academic programs to prospective students, from aviation at ECSU to law at NCCU, the only HBCU in the state with a law school, and others.
Gayles said students of color will likely weigh their potential success, including their well-being and broader sense of belonging, as crucial factors in their decisions after the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“All those things matter just as much as going to class and getting good grades, because if you don’t feel like you belong and matter, your likelihood of performing well goes down,” Gayles said. “And HBCUs have always … recruited and made educating minoritized [students] — all people, really — a priority because that’s why they were founded, to provide a place where people could advance their education.”
Halfacre said the message ECSU sends to prospective students is clear — and the other HBCUs offered similar sentiments.
“We want them to come in, find themselves, find what they really want to do,” Halfacre said, “and then just be able to go out and conquer the world.”