OKLAHOMA CITY – State Representative and Chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa, issued a call on the legislature and the Oklahoma Regents for Higher Education to prioritize funding Langston University.
"Over the last decade Langston University has been funded at 45 cents in state appropriation for every dollar invested by the federal government. During that same time period, OSU was funded at a rate of $3.14 in state appropriation for every federal dollar invested," Nichols said. "This imbalance threatens to cripple Langston’s ability to fully support students. In just the last 10 years, Langston has been underfunded by $159,008,794 in state appropriation.
“As chair of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus, I call on legislative leaders to ensure there is equality in the state match amount for Langston moving forward, starting with an increase of $17,533,643 (3.14:1 match) in funding this budget year. This is critical to the state’s economic future,” said Nichols.
Data from a 2021 report by The Century Foundation shows endowments for HBCU students, both public and private, range between around $7,265-$24,989. Endowments for private and public non-HBCU students range between $25,390-$184,409.
In September 2023, the Federal Government released a report that estimated the Oklahoma Legislature underfunded Langston by more than $400 million since the college was founded. Langston is the only Historically Black College in Oklahoma and the westernmost HBCU in America. Underfunding this institution has a significant negative impact on Black wealth creation and economic opportunity in Oklahoma.
Funding toward preserving Historically Black Colleges helps promote a supportive and inclusive environment. It is also an opportunity to emphasize equality within post-secondary education.