WASHINGTON — Over one-third of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) received bomb threats in the last three months. Kentucky State University, one of two HBCUs in the state, received a threat on Feb. 1, 2022. 

No explosive devices were found on any of the campuses, but the threats disrupted learning and added another burden on already overwhelmed campus mental health systems. HBCU students, like college students across the county, are dealing with negative affects from the COVID-19 pandemic and now they are dealing with additional stress and anxiety because of bomb threats.

Wednesday, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it is taking a “whole-of-government approach” to responding to the threats and making sure staff, students and faculty are safe. Vice President Kamala Harris announced HBCUs that have experienced recent bomb threats that disrupted learning are eligible for grant money. The grant funds are from the Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) program at the Department of Education (ED). Project SERV provides short-term funding for local educational agencies and higher education institutions that have experienced a violent or traumatic incident to help restore a safe learning environment.

A statement from the White House says ED will work with HBCUs that received threats to determine if Project SERV can get funds to their campuses for immediate needs, such as mental health resources or extra security. Awards typically range from $50,000 to $150,000 per school.

The Biden-Harris Administration also announced in addition to the grant money, they will provide HBCUs with other resources including help from ED, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice to help with improvements to campus safety, mental health programs and emergency management planning.

There are over 100 HBCUs in 19 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that serve almost 300,000 students each year. Kentucky has two HBCUs - Kentucky State University and Simmons College of Kentucky. Wednesday’s announcement is further evidence of the administration’s commitment to HBCUs. $5.8 billion has been given to the schools to date, including more than $2.7 billion in American Rescue Plan funding.