IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act

Key Points

• The bill creates a competitive grant program run by the Department of Education to help HBCUs make long-term improvements to their campuses, including building new facilities, modernizing old ones, and fixing critical infrastructure like heating, plumbing, and electrical systems.
• Grant money can be used to install high-speed broadband, 5G networks, and cutting-edge research equipment in fields like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing, helping HBCU students access the same technology as students at wealthier schools.
• The Department of Education must prioritize schools with the greatest facility needs, the least ability to raise money on their own, and the highest share of low-income students receiving Pell Grants. Public HBCUs facing declining state funding also get extra consideration.
• The bill forgives certain outstanding HBCU Capital Financing Program loans that were agreed to before the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 but had not yet been fully paid out, freeing up school budgets for other needs.
• Schools that receive grants must try to hire small businesses owned by veterans and businesses located in underserved HUBZone areas for construction and improvement projects, directing federal dollars into local communities.
• Funding is authorized for fiscal years 2027 through 2032, but no specific dollar amount is set. The bill calls for a GAO study within two years to determine how much money Congress should appropriate going forward.