Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University clear student balances

Recognizing the difficulties students and their families are facing during the COVID- 19 pandemic, two of Atlanta’s HBCUs are clearing students’ account balances from the previous school year. Clark Atlanta University announced it is wiping out balances for the 2020 semesters and the spring and summer 2021 semesters. Following in those steps are Spelman College, who did the same for its students with balances covering the 2020-21 academic year. Clark Atlanta has about 4,000 students, the largest enrollment of any private historically Black college or university in Georgia. Spelman has an enrollment of 2,100 students.

In March 2020, when COVID-19 became a public health crisis, the two institutions, along with Morehouse College in the Atlanta University Center, moved classes online and continued that policy through the end of the year. During the recent spring semester, the AUC schools reopened with a limited number of students on campus.

In a letter to students, CAU’s President George T. French Jr. wrote that the decision was making a gesture to thank them for continuing their education during the coronavirus pandemic. “The past two academic years have been emotionally and financially challenging for you and your families due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” French wrote. “I understand. That is why I am personally thankful for your resilience, perseverance, and ‘find a way or make one’ attitudes.” Clark Atlanta received more than $16 million in recovery funds in the American Rescue Plan.

In a statement to the AJC, Spelman President Mary Schmidt Campbell said the school is using federal funds to cover the outstanding balances for their students. Spelman also implemented a one-time 14% discount of tuition and fees for all students during the 2020-21 school year. For the upcoming school year, which begins Aug. 18, Spelman has rolled tuition and mandatory fees back to 2017- 18 rates. Campbell said, “Spelman recognizes that the last year has been especially difficult for both students and families.” Spelman received about $7.4 million in recovery funds in the American Rescue Plan.

Roughly 58% of Clark Atlanta students and 47% of Spelman students receive federal Pell Grants, funds that help low-income students pay for college.

Unprecedented levels of donations have poured into Atlanta’s HBCUs in recent months from major companies and philanthropic organizations as part of their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to address racial inequities in education.

MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, donated $15 million to Clark Atlanta in December, its largest single philanthropic gift in the school’s history. Spelman and Morehouse each received $20 million from Scott in similar gifts.