UCLA

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been staples in both American history and higher education, as they were created at a time when Black people were almost universally excluded from Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). While Black people now have wider access to PWIs, HBCUs still remain prevalent today, evident in their enrollment increases in recent years. Students often rely on their school-based counselors (or college counselors) for guidance on the intricacies of the college process, including which colleges to consider. This study explored how familiar independent school college counselors are with HBCUs and how they inform and educate Black students on HBCUs. Interviews with 15 independent school college counselors—ranging in years of experience, geographical location, and racial background—turned up four major findings. First, while levels of in-depth knowledge of HBCUs varied, all counselors, irrespective of race, had some general understanding of HBCUs and referenced their benefits. Second, counselors expressed a wide range of reasons for why they thought students would attend an HBCU, as well as barriers in doing so. Third, as a group, they said that those who ended up at HBCUs are happy and enjoying their experiences. Lastly, despite the varying levels of knowledge, counselors, as a group, still sought more information on HBCUs. They cited the need for more conference topics, opportunities to visit HBCUs, and programming to learn more about HBCUs.