A mind is a terrible thing to waste.
That has been the slogan of the United Negro College Fund for decades, and is one of the most cherished maxims of the African American community.
If there is one truth that is universally held by Black folks, it is that access to higher education is not only a matter of social justice, it is also essential for the future of our entire society.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education is considering a measure that would significantly hurt efforts to help more African American students get a college education.
Back in 2011, President Barak Obama’s education department issued policy guidance that allowed hundreds of colleges and universities to enter into partnerships with private companies to set up online learning programs.
That policy guidance was crucial to many smaller and less wealthy institutions that cannot afford the massive cost of setting up and marketing online degree programs. It allowed them to strike revenue-sharing agreements with the companies, referred to as online program managers or OPMs, to help set up and run online learning programs for the schools in exchange for a share of the tuition and fees.
As a result, many colleges were able to create or expand online programs that serve thousands of students, including a substantial number of students of color.
As important as these programs were back in 2011, they became absolutely crucial in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down college classrooms nationwide. The online programs became an educational lifeline for many Black students, helping ensure that those minds are not going to waste.
Unfortunately, bowing to pressure from a narrow but vocal group of advocates who don’t like these partnerships, the U.S. Department of Education is currently considering a policy change that could seriously damage or even destroy many of these online education programs. This must not be allowed to happen. T/he OPMs provide important support for a need that is still pressing.
While Black students have made enrollment gains in the last 20 years, according to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, there has been less progress in closing the degree attainment gap. As Gallup has documented, Black students are twice as likely as others to have a full-time job or significant caregiving responsibilities while still in school — factors that make college success difficult and underscore the need for flexible, affordable online degree programs that match a working student’s schedule.
Fortunately, there are people speaking out on this issue. Michael L. Lomax, President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, recently sent a letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona imploring him to keep the Obama policy in place.
Dr. Lomax wrote “There is no question that online programs are an essential part of the present and the future. If we are to meet our goal of ensuring that all students have the access they need and deserve, then robust and growing online options must be available.” Lomax also said “And if we are to meet our goal of ensuring that all institutions—and not just the privileged few—have the tools they need to provide those options, then the bundled services guidance must remain in place.”
Dr. Lomax is exactly right and he needs our help.
Those of us who care about meaningful access to education must let our elected officials in Congress and in the Biden Administration hear loud and clear that the Obama policy on OPMs is an important source of support for Black college students and the institutions that serve them.
Pick up your phone, open up your email and/or post on your social media. Tell them the Education Department needs to leave the Obama online education policy alone.
Don’t waste our time, and please, don’t waste our minds.
This article was written by Billy J. Briscoe, a Houston attorney, business professional, community volunteer and HBCU graduate. He can be reached at bbriscoe@thebriscoelawfirm.com.
