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The Historically Black Colleges and/or Universities have been a valuable source of education for African American young people as well as many others.

But it appears that the mecca of the HBCU’s is facing a devastating financial downfall that’s sending ripples through the academic community.

Howard University has long been called the “mecca” of the HBCU’s, but the destabilization of the university reported by Renee Higginbotham-Brooks, vice chairwoman of Howard’s board of trustees, to the Chronicle of Higher Education stated that the university is in “genuine trouble” if something isn’t done to reverse the financial precipice they are teetering on.

Higginbotham-Brooks was forthcoming with information of the mismanagement of the university’s funds in an April 24 letter published by the Chronicle of Higher Education, according to the Washington Post, Higginbotham-Brooks wrote a scathing 3-page report on changes in the management of the university through its board of trustees.

The report in the post also makes note of “outrageous bonuses” that were given to administrators in the face of climbing tuition that faculty reps described as  “blatant disregard for the University when our students and their families are struggling to pay tuition increases.”

“Earlier this year, university officials announced that undergraduate tuition would increase by 12 percent or $2,300 for the 2012-13 academic year, bringing the total price to $21,450. Graduate tuition increased by 15 percent to a total of $29,090.”

Higginbotham-Brooks in her letter spoke of the financial difficulty as an impending crisis that will snowball.