California Makes Strides Toward Improving HBCU Transfer Pathway For Community College Students

California Makes Strides Toward Improving HBCU Transfer Pathway For Community College Students 

Jamel White stopped at booth after booth at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities caravan, part of the Welcome B(l)ack event at Los Angeles Valley College. Studying criminal justice at West L.A., White said he’s primarily interested in going to an HBCU in the fall of 2024.

“I want to get out of the state. I've been a California native all my life, so really to explore and to also network with other people — especially like my people, Black people,” White said. He added that at an HBCU he’ll “feel more at home.”

When asked what he means by “home,” White said, “seeing more people that look like me walk around campus. I don't feel like an outsider. I walk into a class, it's people that look like me, not just I'm the only Black student, or it's only two Black students in this class of 30. So you feel more comfortable.”

He has fortunate timing. In September 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1400, which redefined the College Access Tax Credit to provide up to a $5,000 one-time award for California community college students to transfer to HBCUs.

A one-time award

An HBCU is a college or university established prior to 1964, whose main mission was and is to educate Black Americans, though they serve students of any race.

There are no federally designated HBCUs in California. (Charles R. Drew University has a history of serving Black students, but does not have a federal designation).

Tied to the funding provided by AB 1400 is the expectation that students return to the state after they graduate.

Providing students with some funding to attend HBCUs makes it easier for students to use an existing transfer agreement between California community colleges and nearly 40 HBCU campuses. Since 2015, upon meeting certain academic requirements, California community college students are guaranteed transfer admission to participating HBCUs.

In the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year, there were just over 50 such transfer students at the nearly 40 HBCU campuses under this agreement.

That number may be higher due to challenges tracking transfers to private schools and HBCUs, according to Arynn Auzout Settle, project director for the California Community College transfer agreement.

Iris Tabb, director of admissions at Harris-Stowe State University in Missouri, attended the HBCU caravan at Los Angeles Valley College. She said the news of AB 1400 was very exciting, “that the state recognizes the opportunity for students to experience an HBCU education and then ultimately bringing that experience back to the state of California, ultimately adding to the rich, diverse, nature of the state as it is already.”