Resolution on Advancing College Affordability, Support, and Empowerment for Black and LGBTQIA+ Students

WHEREAS, New federal student loan repayment structures and persistent barriers to Pell Grant access risk deepening financial hardships for Black students, particularly Black women, LGBTQIA+ students, and students with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Since the 1980s, state and federal disinvestment in higher education has shifted the cost of college from public investment to individual students, with more than half of U.S. states still spending less on higher education than they did before the 2008 recession, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the U.S. Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, The Reagan administration's education policies, including a 25 percent cut to federal higher education funding and the elimination of tuition-free colleges at California public universities, redefined higher education as a private good rather than a public right, laying the ideological groundwork for the modern student debt crisis (New University, 2023); and

WHEREAS, Black women hold the highest average student loan debt of any demographic, graduating with an average of $38,800 in federal undergraduate loans and $58,252 for graduate school, yet must earn a bachelor's degree to make what white men earn with only a high school diploma, as documented by the Student Borrower Protection Center and Institute for Women's Policy Research (2024); and

WHEREAS, 57 percent of Black women college graduates report experiencing significant financial hardship while repaying student loans, illustrating the long-term economic burdens exacerbated by systemic wage inequities; and

WHEREAS, The federal Pell Grant, which once covered more than 75 percent of public college costs in the 1980s, now covers just 28 percent, according to the College Board's 2023 Trends in Student Aid report, reflecting a dramatic decline in grant-based support and increased reliance on student loans; and

WHEREAS, Pell Grants, once covering over half of public college costs, now cover just 28% of costs, making Black students, 60% of whom rely on Pell Grants, increasingly dependent on student loans to access higher education; and

WHEREAS, Average tuition and fees have increased by more than 45 percent at public in-state institutions and 41 percent at private institutions since 2005, significantly outpacing inflation and wage growth, and creating deeper affordability challenges for low-income students and communities of color (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023); and

WHEREAS, The federal student loan system has enabled colleges and universities to raise tuition without cost accountability, contributing to a national student debt burden that exceeds 1.75 trillion dollars and affects more than 42 million Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Education; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ Black Indigenous and People of Color ("BIPOC") students face financial barriers, including discrimination in accessing financial services, with 30.8% of LGBTQIA+ adults — particularly Black and Latino students reporting financial discrimination, and nearly 45% reporting no access to financial education, according to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (2024) and NEFE (2022); and

WHEREAS, Financial insecurity significantly impacts LGBTQIA+ students' ability to complete college, with over half of Black and Latino LGBTQIA+ adults reporting financial instability, contributing to higher attrition rates; and

WHEREAS, According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in the 2021–22 school year, approximately 7.3 million students ages 3–21 received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (NCES, 2023); and

WHEREAS, Black students comprised approximately 15% of the total public-school enrollment but accounted for about 22% of students receiving services under IDEA, revealing systemic racial disparities in access to educational support critical for higher education success; and

WHEREAS, Students with disabilities are suspended and expelled at twice the rate of their non-disabled peers, with Black and LGBTQIA+ students with disabilities disproportionately impacted, contributing to lower college readiness and deepened financial barriers to higher education enrollment and completion (U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2022); and

WHEREAS, Federal programs such as Title I and IDEA grants are critical to supporting vulnerable student populations, and threats to these programs would heighten educational inequities and financial barriers for Black and LGBTQIA+ students with disabilities.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the NAACP reaffirms its 2007, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 resolutions addressing college affordability, student debt relief, Pell Grant expansion, the elimination of discriminatory lending practices, and equitable financial access to higher education for marginalized communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP urges all policymakers to strengthen and expand grants-based financial aid systems, prioritize increases to Pell Grant funding, and create targeted support for Black student-parents, first-generation students, LGBTQIA+ students, and students with disabilities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP demands mandatory racial and gender equity impact assessments of all federal and state higher education financing policies to close systemic affordability gaps and dismantle the racial wealth divide.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP calls for expansion of student debt forgiveness programs, including protection of Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), while creating additional targeted relief for economically vulnerable Black and LGBTQIA+ students.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NAACP demands stronger protection against discrimination in student lending and financial services to ensure equitable access to higher education financing for marginalized communities.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP reaffirms its commitment to advancing policies that dismantle financial barriers, expand economic opportunity, and secure equitable pathways to college access, success, and financial freedom for Black women, LGBTQIA+ students, and students with disabilities.