INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE

Curious about how different career pathways impact student success? Check out our CPI report. This report offers a comprehensive look at how HBCUs are preparing students for meaningful careers beyond college. Featuring institutional case studies and transformative practices, the Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) Report showcases scalable strategies for advancing student success and workforce readiness across the HBCU sector.

Explore the report now to discover the powerful innovations shaping the future of Black student achievement! 

STUDENT SUCCESS

Discover how HBCUs are driving better mental health outcomes for students.

UNCF recently released “Flourishing: Bolstering the Mental Health of Students at HBCUs and PBIs,” a groundbreaking report revealing that students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities experience significantly stronger mental health outcomes than their national peers—even while navigating greater financial challenges and limited access to services.

Based on data from over 2,500 students across 18 institutions, the report highlights what researchers are calling “The HBCU Effect” on mental health. Developed in partnership with the Healthy Minds Network and The Steve Fund, this research affirms the powerful role HBCUs play in fostering student well-being.

Review the full report here and learn how HBCUs are creating environments where students truly thrive!

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

UNCF Institute for Capacity Building invites institutional leaders, faculty, industry and technology representatives, and global partners to contribute to our Global Solutions and Partnerships Survey and help define the future of U.S.–Africa higher education collaboration. This initiative is part of our Year of Discovery—building a lasting framework for shared innovation, institutional transformation, and enterprise. 

Survey Incentive Ends July 25, 2025 – your voice is vital. Add yours today.

As an incentive, upon completion of the survey, each participant will be entered into a drawing to receive ONE (1) gift card, valued at $100, sent digitally to them. Entries received before 11:59pm on Friday, July 25, 2025, will be eligible for the drawing.

Click here to access the survey: https://bit.ly/UNCFICBglobalsolutions

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

AI is here—and HBCUs belong at the forefront!

We’re excited to announce the upcoming release of our HBCU AI Report, developed in partnership with Huston-Tillotson University and Ellucian. This timely and insightful resource explores how artificial intelligence is already transforming the HBCU landscape—from instructional innovation to operational efficiency.

Packed with key findings and campus perspectives, the report underscores why HBCUs must lead the way in shaping the future of AI in higher education.

Be the first to know when it drops—sign up here to receive updates!

INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE

Join us in shaping the future of HBCU endowments!

UNCF and Cambridge Associates are exploring the creation of an HBCU Center for Endowment Excellence. We’re seeking partners to help us better understand the opportunities, challenges, and innovative approaches to building a collaborative network for long-term financial sustainability.

If you’re interested in being part of this discovery process, please sign up here for updates! 

STUDENT SUCCESS

HBCUv is a first-of-its-kind digital platform created to expand access, strengthen community, and power student success across the HBCU ecosystem. With features like:

• Course Catalog – Shared online courses tailored to HBCU learners
• The Yard – A virtual space for building community and connection
• My Path – A one-stop digital hub for academic and student support resources

HBCUv empowers students to thrive, supports faculty innovation in online learning, and helps institutions boost revenue, retention, and completion. With new support from Axim Collaborative and the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, HBCUv is rolling out enhanced mobile access and AI-driven student success tools. 

Interested in learning more? Register for an informational webinar session here! 

INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE

On September 17, 2025, UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building will join the Historic African Diaspora Placement Program (HADIP) and the Association of African Universities (AAU) to co-host an online symposium titled “From Dialogue to Action: Advancing Partnerships between Historically Black Colleges and Universities and African Higher Education Institutions.” 

This virtual convening will bring together higher education leaders, scholars, and advocates from across Africa and the U.S. to explore sustainable, cross-continental collaboration. The event will advance the African Union’s vision of the diaspora as Africa’s sixth region and lay the groundwork for impactful, long-term partnerships between HBCUs and African institutions.

Registration is now open—click here to sign up and join the movement from dialogue to action! 

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

UNCF is proud to partner with HolonIQ for the 24th Annual Back to School Summit—one of the most influential convenings in global higher education. Taking place in New York City, this high-impact event brings together 700 senior leaders from U.S. and international institutions, technology innovators, philanthropic organizations, and economic development partners to shape the future of education. Interested in joining us? 

Register here and use code: JOINUNCF@BTS for 50% Off

STUDENT SUCCESS

Funded by a $10 million gift from Adage Capital Management and philanthropists Elizabeth and Phill Gross, Project ACCLAIM—Accelerating Learning in Asset Investment Management—will equip HBCU students with mentorship, hands-on investment training, and the opportunity to manage a $4 million fund on behalf of their institutions. The program will launch in Fall 2025 at Morehouse College and Howard University, with plans to expand to additional HBCUs in the years ahead.

Read the article here to learn how Project ACCLAIM is redefining investment education and empowering the next generation of Black asset managers. Sign up here to receive updates on Project ACCLAIM. Link coming soon!

STUDENT SUCCESS

During the 2024–2025 academic year, UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building launched the inaugural Student Transformation Fellowship—a bold initiative aimed at redefining the role of students as co-creators in institutional change. Supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, the fellowship empowered five student leaders across five HBCUs to tackle real campus challenges ranging from food insecurity and mental health to sustainability and student engagement.

Grounded in the belief that students—when coached, resourced, and aligned with institutional priorities—can drive transformative outcomes, this pilot program elevates student voices and embeds them in the process of campus innovation.

Read the full report here to explore how these student changemakers helped shape culture, build capacity, and redefine leadership at HBCUs! 

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

In February 2025, UNCF launched the HBCU Wealth Building Initiative—a groundbreaking effort to amplify the role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in creating and sustaining generational wealth.

Anchored by the belief that HBCUs are not only educational institutions but also powerful economic engines, the initiative explores how these institutions can drive wealth creation for students, faculty, staff, and surrounding communities.

Supported by The Prudential Foundation and administered through UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building, this new report offers insights, strategies, and models that position HBCUs at the center of community wealth-building efforts.

Sign up to be a champion for the Wealth in Numbers campaign. Link coming soon!