How the Black College Fund sustains our HBCUs

For more than 150 years, The United Methodist Church has invested in the education and empowerment of African Americans and other underserved communities. Since 1972, the Black College Fund (BCF), administered by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, has supported 11 United Methodist–related HBCUs in the United States by strengthening academic programs, maintaining infrastructure, and keeping tuition affordable.

“Our agencies remain fully committed to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in education,” said Roland Fernandes, general secretary for the General Boards of Higher Education and Ministry and Global Ministries. “The government’s attacks on and subsequent elimination of such programs makes the Black College Fund even more vital in supporting the 11 United Methodist- related HBCUs in fulfilling their vital missions.”

The Black College Fund supports these institutions through three channels: unrestricted monthly disbursements, quadrennial capital allotments, and the Five Percent Fund for long-range planning and special projects.

Over the coming months, we will highlight each of the 11 BCF-supported HBCUs in order of their founding, beginning with Rust College.

Juneteenth Panel at NAAMSCU/University Senate Joint Meeting

United Methodist Support Keeps Rust College a Beacon of Hope

For Dr. Johnny M. Moore, president of Rust College, support from The United Methodist Church and its Black College Fund (BCF) is more than financial, it’s transformational. “I look at those funds as very beneficial,” Moore said. “It changes the trajectory of lives forever.”