Historically Black colleges and universities are undertaking significant institutional reforms aimed at addressing barriers to student completion and degree attainment. These efforts span multiple areas, from basic needs support to academic planning, reflecting a broader shift in how HBCUs approach student success beyond traditional enrollment metrics.
Coppin State University in Baltimore has taken direct action on housing and meal expenses beginning this fall, reducing meal plan costs by 12 percent through a renegotiated food service agreement and maintaining flat mandatory student fees. The changes are designed to address growing concerns about basic needs insecurity among college students. Following these adjustments, Coppin’s annual board cost will be approximately $4,875, positioning it as the most affordable option among four-year institutions in Maryland, where comparable costs at other public universities range from $6,290 to $6,820 annually. University leadership cited the cost reductions as part of a strategic effort to remove financial obstacles that distract students from academic and personal development.
To address course availability challenges that delay graduation timelines, eHBCU—a six-institution consortium—launched a course-sharing partnership in June through collaboration with online platform Acadeum. The initiative permits students to enroll in approved courses offered at other member institutions while maintaining their home campus enrollment and degree progress. Participating schools include Delaware State University, Southern University and A&M College, Southern University at Shreveport, Southern University at New Orleans, Alabama State University, and Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design. The partnership specifically targets adult and nontraditional learners managing competing obligations.
Personalized coaching has emerged as another effective retention tool. A five-year InsideTrack initiative across 39 HBCUs demonstrated that stopped-out students receiving coaching re-enrolled at rates 2.5 times the national average, with over 1,300 students returning to institutions. Among actively enrolled students, those meeting with coaches showed fall-to-spring retention of 90.4 percent compared to 82.4 percent for non-participants.
Accelerated degree programs represent a fourth strategy. Grambling State University and Southern University Law Center announced a 3+3 law program allowing students to earn both bachelor’s and law degrees in six years instead of seven, potentially saving $16,000 to $18,000 in direct tuition and up to $100,000 when accounting for living expenses and application fees.
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