Compton College President Dr. Keith Curry is calling on California's top state leaders to include funding for a Black-Serving Institutions grant program in the state budget after legislation establishing the program stalled in the legislature due to fiscal constraints.
Dr. Keith Curry
"I was disappointed to see that the budget request for The Designation of California Black-Serving Institutions Grant Program was not included in any of the three budget vehicles," Curry wrote in a letter obtained by Diverse, referencing the Governor's May Revision Proposal and both chambers' budget acts.
The setback represents a significant hurdle for proponents of enhanced support for Black students in California higher education, coming just months after the state made history by becoming the first in the nation to establish a Black-Serving Institution designation through Senate Bill 1348, signed into law by Governor Newsom in September 2024.
Despite the funding challenges, interest in the Black-Serving Institution designation has been robust. According to Curry's letter, as of June 6, the California State University Central Office, which oversees the application process, had received applications from two University of California campuses, three CSU campuses, one private university, and 36 California Community Colleges.
The Black-Serving Institution designation requires institutions to enroll at least 1,500 Black students or maintain a student population that is at least 10% Black, along with demonstrating academic resources and support services specifically designed to promote Black student success.
Assembly Bill 335, authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson, would have established a competitive grant program providing $75 million from the state's general fund. The bill specified that $25 million would be distributed to CSU campuses and $50 million to community college districts. The legislation passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee on March 18 with a vote of 8-2 but was subsequently placed in the suspense file, where bills with significant fiscal impact are often held.
Curry acknowledged the state's economic challenges in his letter but emphasized the persistent struggles facing underserved students, particularly in light of federal threats to diversity and equity programs under the Trump administration.
"I fully understand the economic challenges facing the state of California," Curry wrote. "However, I also understand the persistent struggles of underserved students, especially Black and African American students. The state of California and institutions of higher education must make bold commitments and allocate resources to improve outcomes for all postsecondary students, particularly those who have been historically marginalized."
California legislators killed hundreds of bills during suspense file hearings in May, citing the state's $12 billion budget deficit and concerns about potential federal funding cuts. The suspense file process allows appropriations committees to consider bills with significant costs together, but it has also become a mechanism for quietly killing controversial or expensive proposals.
The push for state-level support comes amid a challenging federal landscape for diversity and equity programs. The Trump administration has moved to eliminate various federal programs supporting underserved students, including cutting grants to historically Black colleges and universities as part of broader efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
California's Black-Serving Institution designation was designed to be similar to existing federal recognitions for Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, but with state-level support and oversight.
"This is especially important now with the constant threat of eliminating critical resources for underserved students, including but not limited to Black and African American students, by the federal administration," Curry noted in his letter.
Curry highlighted ongoing challenges facing Black students in higher education, noting that "Black students in the Compton Community College District service area—and across California—continue to be underrepresented in higher education."
Research consistently shows that Black and African American students face systemic barriers in accessing and completing higher education, including financial instability and limited academic support. The proposed grant program was designed to help institutions that receive the Black-Serving Institution designation develop the fiscal resources necessary to address these challenges.
In his letter, Curry requested that the language from Assembly Bill 335 be included in the 2025-2026 Budget Act Trailer Bill, with funding allocated from the General Fund for four-year colleges and universities, and Proposition 98 funds designated for California Community Colleges.
"Now is the time to make another bold commitment to our students, as budgets are our statement of values," Curry wrote.
The California Legislative Black Caucus has made educational equity a centerpiece of its 2025 legislative priorities through its "Road to Repair" initiative, which seeks to address systemic barriers facing Black Californians across multiple sectors, including education.
