wow. have the two senators from Illinois been busy. here is something Sen. Obama has been working on with Rep. Danny Davis.
You can read the full bill off the link.
The Senate passed a broad higher-education bill today that included a small but important -- for a quarter million African-American students, anyway -- provision pushed by a pair of lawmakers from Illinois.
The College Cost Reduction and Access Act creates a new designation for colleges, "Predominantly Black Institutions," which don't qualify for "Historically Black Colleges and Universities" status but serve large numbers of African American students nevertheless. The estimated 75 colleges in that new group - including eight in Illinois - are now eligible for a $15 million pool of federal grants.
The engines behind the provision are Sen. Barack Obama and Rep. Danny Davis, a pair of Illinois Democrats. Obama's office hailed the Senate passed bill in a release today, which included Obama saying, "For decades, Predominantly Black Institutions have given our students the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in today's economy, and their recognition is long overdue. This funding will invest in a new generation of leaders by strengthening these institutions."
The bill now heads to President Bush, who has indicated he will sign it.
Read on for the full release from Obama's office:
OBAMA INITIATIVE TO FUND PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTIONS PASSES SENATE
75 Colleges will be eligible for $15 million in annual grants
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/09/obama_davis_boost_a_new_type_o.html