Michael Lomax stepped down this week as president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, an organization that has channeled billions in scholarships and grants to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities for over 80 years.

In his exit interview with NPR's Michel Martin, Lomax emphasized the outsized impact HBCUs produce despite operating with fewer resources than predominantly white institutions. HBCUs enroll roughly 3 percent of all college students in the United States but award nearly 20 percent of bachelor's degrees earned by Black Americans. The institutions also lead in producing Black graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees in STEM fields.

Lomax pointed to economic data showing HBCU graduates command stronger lifetime earnings compared to peers from other institutions. He stressed that HBCUs function as engines of social mobility in communities with limited access to quality higher education. Many HBCUs operate in the South, where they serve first-generation college students and low-income populations at higher rates than other universities.

The UNCF itself has distributed more than $3.7 billion in scholarships since its founding in 1944. The organization works across a network of 37 member institutions, ranging from large universities like Howard University and Spelman College to smaller regional schools. Lomax's tenure at UNCF spanned 24 years, during which he expanded the organization's fundraising operations and increased its advocacy role in federal education policy debates.

HBCUs have faced persistent funding gaps compared to comparable institutions. State appropriations per student at HBCUs average significantly lower than at predominantly white public universities. Federal research funding also flows disproportionately away from these institutions, limiting their capacity to build research infrastructure and attract top faculty.

Lomax's departure comes as HBCUs navigate enrollment pressures and questions about their financial sustainability. The Biden administration has increased