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Florida A&M University spends over $16 million to pay off student outstanding balances
The money went toward paying off students’ outstanding tuition and fee balances during 2020-2021 school year.
Press Release | Florida A&M University (FAMU) spent more than US$16 million to cover fees, tuition and unpaid student account balances during the 2020-2021 school year, President Larry Robinson, Ph.D., has announced.
“Over the last year and a half, the University provided over US$16 million in student support and debt relief as a result of the federal Cares Act,” Robinson said in remarks during the first of four in-person commencement ceremonies for 2020 graduates Saturday morning.
“This is an indication of our commitment to student success and our hope that your time on the “Hill” has been transformative as you take on the challenges of the day, go out and make a difference,” Robinson told School of Business & Industry (SBI), College of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health (COPPS, IPH) and School of Environment graduates.
Robinson’s remarks came as other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), such as Clark-Atlanta, are announcing the erasure of students’ unpaid balances.
FAMU Vice President for Student Affairs William E. Hudson, Jr., Ph.D., said the money went toward paying off students’ outstanding tuition and fee balances during 2020-2021 school year.
“Clearing student account balances from the previous school year was a way of practicing our motto of “Excellence with Caring” by supporting students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hudson said. “It keeps them from having to get loans to pay off their unpaid balance. It’s been a tough year for our students and their families.”
About Florida A&M University: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) – a public, historically black university in Tallahassee, Florida – founded on October 3, 1887, began classes with 15 students and 2 instructors. Today, FAMU is one of 12 institutions in Florida’s State University System and has nearly 10,000 students.
African Americans attend medical school; Physician Diversity
Schools create pathway program for graduates of the HBCU to attend medical school
Business Wire | African Americans make up only 6 percent of U.S. physicians. With the goal of driving diversity among U.S. physicians, today Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) announced a new agreement to help more African Americans attend medical school. FAMU and RUSM are establishing an educational pathway program, making it easier for FAMU graduate school students to study medicine at RUSM. Qualified FAMU students who earn full acceptance into the medical school will receive a scholarship covering full tuition for the first semester. FAMU students will spend the first 2 years of medical school at the RUSM campus in Barbados.
“This is an exciting opportunity to partner with the Ross University School of Medicine,” said FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. He added, “For 131 years, FAMU has produced outstanding graduates who are making an impact on society. The University is already noted for being a leading institution of origin for African Americans pursuing degrees in the natural sciences. This partnership will allow us to play an even greater role in the production and development of African-American physicians who will positively change the healthcare outcomes for people from all aspects of society.”
“African American doctors are woefully underrepresented in the physician workforce, leading fewer African Americans to see a doctor,” said RUSM Dean and Chancellor, William F. Owen, Jr., M.D., FACP. “This has significant negative healthcare outcomes in communities already prone to high rates of chronic diseases. Working with FAMU and other HBCUs, using novel student engagements, validated support programs and senior-level commitments to success, we are working to address that long overdue challenge to increase the diversity of our nation’s physicians.”
RUSM recently announced a similar agreement with Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science. And as part of its continued commitment to addressing diversity in medicine, RUSM’s parent company, Adtalem Global Education, signed on to the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Partnership Challenge created by the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, pledging to invest in creating strategic collaborations with HBCUs and working to increase diversity in key workforce sectors.
Having recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, RUSM’s 14,000-plus diverse alumni practice medicine throughout North America and across all specialties, including a high percentage of graduates who enter the in-demand field of primary care. RUSM is part of Adtalem Global Education’s medical and healthcare education vertical, which also includes American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine in Sint Maarten, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in St. Kitts & Nevis, and Chamberlain University, one of the largest providers of nursing education in the United States.
About FAMU: Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) – a public, historically black university in Tallahassee, Florida – founded on October 3, 1887, began classes with 15 students and 2 instructors. Today, FAMU is one of 12 institutions in Florida’s State University System and has nearly 10,000 students.
FAMU offers 54 bachelor’s degrees, 29 master’s degrees, 12 doctoral degrees and 3 professional degrees. The 3 professional degrees include the J.D., Pharm.D., and the Doctor of Physical Therapy. The 12 doctoral degree programs include 11 doctoral degrees and one Doctor of Public Health. The 11 doctoral programs are: biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, physics, educational leadership, environmental science and entomology. For more information, visit FAMU.edu.
Source: Florida A&M University
