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Race-related reasons are important variables in college choice that have gone largely unexplored. Black undergraduate students (N = 167) attending an HBCU completed a questionnaire assessing their reasons for choosing to attend the university. Factor analysis identified two race-related reasons for college choice, the race focus of the institution and the opportunity students have to advance their racial development. Students also indicated by choosing an HBCU for reasons other than race, such as academics, finances, geography, and social life. Race-related reasons were associated with intentions to engage in race-related behavior, whereas non race-related reasons were not. Therefore students attend HBCUs for a variety of reasons, including a desire to be with other students of color, and the opportunity for active racial self-development.
"I want a different world. I hope to find out a lot more about myself and my history here."
Rochella Banks, incoming HBCU student quoted in Suggs (1997a)
BACKGROUND
After decades of successfully educating Black Americans, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) may be threatened. In recent decades, 12 HBCUs have closed, several have been on the verge of closing, and countless others have faced serious challenges (Suggs, 1997b). While the biggest threat is the intense financial pressure felt by these institutions, predominantly as the result of lower than average endowments, other sources of concern cited are a lack of leadership, inadequate or outdated programs, deficient resources, and philosophical changes in their missions (Suggs, 1997b). HBCUs are facing a turning point as they strive to fulfill their missions while at the same time competitively prepare for the future.
The most critical resource of any institution of higher learning is its human capital, and HBCUs are at risk of losing that as well. The current admission policies of predominantly White institutions (PWIs) ensure that qualified applicants of any color are accepted and most top institutions actively recruit minority students. Well-qualified minority students are often the target of frenzied competition (Cross, 2007). This competition is reflected in the inducements offered by PWIs to qualified Black applicants, most notably monetary incentives, which for many students and their parents find too attractive to pass up. For this reason and others, fewer Black undergraduates are choosing to attend HBCUs. As many as 35% of all bachelor's degrees...