UNCF President Calls for Scrutiny of Accreditors

Michael Lomax, president of the United Negro College Fund, called for Congress to scrutinize the decision making of regional accreditors, whom he accused of dealing unfairly with struggling historically black colleges.

"Just as black students in schools across this nation have been targets of and subject to punishments harsher than their nonblack peers, I would argue that historically black colleges and universities are receiving disparate and inequitable punishments and sanctions from regional accreditors," Lomax said.

The demand was part of UNCF’s legislative agenda that Lomax outlined in a “State of the HBCU” address, where multiple lawmakers were among the audience. He also called for Congress to double the size of the maximum Pell Grant and to invest $1 billion in an infrastructure program for historically black institutions to address deferred maintenance and support new construction.