Presidential Documents

67045 

Federal Register 

Vol. 88, No. 187 

Thursday, September 28, 2023 

Title 3— 

The President 

Proclamation 10628 of September 22, 2023 

National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week, 

2023 

By the President of the United States of America 

A Proclamation 

Our Nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are rooted 

in a fundamental tenet of our democracy: A quality education is a right 

that belongs to all people, and every single American should be free to 

pursue the limits of their talent and ambition. During National Historically 

Black Colleges and Universities Week, we recommit to supporting and investing in HBCUs so they can continue the essential work of educating and 

empowering students who enrich the soul of our Nation. 

Throughout their history, HBCUs have instilled in their students a sense 

of culture and purpose and a commitment to making a difference in the 

lives of all Americans. They are centers of academic excellence, producing 

40 percent of all Black engineers in America, 50 percent of all Black lawyers 

in America, 70 percent of all Black doctors and dentists in America, and 

80 percent of all Black judges in America. They are incubators of scholars 

and educators; advocates and athletes; and leaders in every sector of our 

society, including industry, public interest firms, faith, medicine, and the 

arts and sciences. They have molded trailblazers, visionaries, and public 

servants, who have helped make our democracy more inclusive and equitable. 

I see the excellence of HBCUs manifested every day in my Administration 

by HBCU alumni who are gifted members of my cabinet—like Vice President 

Kamala Harris and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 

Michael Regan—and in staff serving at all levels of my Administration. 

Despite the wealth of their contributions to our society, HBCUs often do 

not have the same endowments and financial resources as other colleges 

and universities. That is not only unfair—it undermines the full potential 

of our Nation. It means leading institutions are often unable to build and 

fund research labs, which can lead to the new technologies and innovations 

that define American excellence. That is why, with the help of Vice President 

Harris, my Administration has delivered more than $7 billion to HBCUs— 

including to prepare students to contribute to the future in high-demand 

and high-income fields, like cybersecurity, engineering, biochemistry, and 

health care. I have also re-established the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for HBCUs 

to increase their participation in Federal programs that offer greater access 

to funding, ensuring HBCUs can continue to be engines of opportunity 

in the future. 

While talent, creativity, and the willingness to work hard are everywhere 

in this country, equal opportunity is not. To make sure every American 

has the opportunity to pursue higher education, my Administration has 

increased the maximum Pell Grant by $900—the largest increase in the 

last decade—and my new budget will put us on a path to double the 

maximum award by 2029. Further, in response to my budget, the Congress 

established a program to provide direct support to academic institutions 

by creating and sustaining evidence-based strategies that support students 

through college re-enrollment, retention, and completion. 


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67046 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2023 / Presidential Documents 

There is still so much to do to make higher education more accessible 

and affordable. Last year, I announced a student debt relief plan, and we 

were on the verge of providing thousands of dollars in relief to more than 

40 million Americans. Then the Supreme Court ruled against it, derailing 

an opportunity that would have changed so many lives for the better. Though 

that decision closed one door, I responded immediately by announcing 

that my Administration is pursuing an alternative path for debt relief, and 

that we finalized the Saving on a Valuable Education Program (SAVE)— 

the most affordable student loan repayment program ever created. 

This program calculates loan payments based on a student’s income and 

family size, not on the size of the loan. Under this plan, some students’ 

monthly payments will drop to zero, and others will save around $1,000 

a year. Borrowers who pay what they owe on this plan will no longer 

see their loans grow due to unpaid interest, and the program will get 

some borrowers to forgiveness faster. I will never stop fighting to create 

the student debt relief Americans need to help restore their faith in the 

American Dream. With the Supreme Court’s decision to effectively end 

affirmative action, my Administration will continue fighting to put quality 

education within reach of everyone and fulfill the promise of America 

for all Americans. Lastly, my Administration is aware that there have been 

threats by domestic extremists who may seek to spread fear on HBCU 

campuses. We are committed to protecting any and all Americans who 

find themselves on the frontline of domestic extremist threats or violence. 

More than five decades ago, in response to an act of racist terror, a young 

Morehouse student named Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter to the 

Atlanta Constitution saying, ‘‘We want and are entitled to the basic rights 

and opportunities of American citizens.’’ In those words, we see just one 

example of the sacred and proud tradition of HBCUs: opening the doors 

of opportunity wider for students, helping them find the power in their 

voice, and giving them the tools to make true change in our world. Today, 

we recommit to supporting HBCUs that, in raising the next generation of 

dreamers and doers, bring more equity, prosperity, and opportunity for 

our Nation. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States 

of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution 

and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 24 through 

September 30, 2023, as National Historically Black Colleges and Universities 

Week. I call upon educators, students, public officials, professional organizations, corporations, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate 

programs, ceremonies, and activities that acknowledge the countless contributions these institutions and their alumni have made to our country. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2023 / Presidential Documents 67047 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-second 

day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, 

and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred 

and forty-eighth. 

[FR Doc. 2023–21637 

Filed 9–27–23; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3395–F3–P 


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