About HBCU Advance

A 2022 report issued by NACAC in conjunction with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) took aim at the systemic inequities that have plagued the overall population of colleges and universities and called on admission offices, institutional leaders, and policymakers to reconsider the design of their admission systems to better orient them to equity, particularly as it applies to under-represented racial minority students. Since the design of HBCUs places them at the epicenter of access for Black students in America, some of the recommendations in the 2022 report do not apply to them. However, others, such as application simplification, admission workforce support, and rethinking admission criteria and selectivity, are still ripe for examination. With HBCU admission officers, we can explore the challenges that limit their ability to recruit and enroll students, while also elevating the successful practices that make this segment of institutions so critical to our national equity goals.

Purpose

At NACAC, we maintain a pivotal position at the juncture between secondary and postsecondary education. Our purpose is to open the higher education pipeline to a diverse population of students to promote equity in educational opportunity and to ensure that our workforce is prepared to meet the increasingly specialized, multicultural, global demands for the 21st century. Our HBCU membership is uniquely situated in the crucible for forging new, cutting-edge practices for removing barriers so the pipeline from secondary to postsecondary education is opened wide for all interested students.

Primary Audience(s)

  • NACAC HBCU member institutions
  • Non-NACAC HBCU members / institutions
  • NACAC HBCU alumni
  • HBCU advocates, allies, and practitioners

Project / Program Goals

  1. Identify institutional and professional challenges facing HBCU admission offices.
  2. Identify opportunities and successful practices employed by HBCU admission offices.
  3. Identify ways in which HBCU admission offices can be effectively supported by institutions.
  4. Provide opportunities for professional learning and networking among HBCU admission offices to facilitate best practices and cultivate professional pathways and leadership for HBCU admission officers.
  5. Identify HBCU best practices that can be shared with other postsecondary institutions to improve equity outcomes nationally.