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Committee holds public hearing on adding Selma University to state student grant program
Summary
The House Ways and Means Education Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 525 to consider adding Selma University to the Alabama Student Grant Program; ACHE staff said federal Title IV approval will be required before any state grant funds could flow to the university's students.
The House Ways and Means Education Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 525, a proposal to add Selma University to the Alabama Student Grant Program administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE).
Representative Drummond carried the bill in the absence of Representative Chestnut and described the measure as adding Selma University, a historically Black institution in Selma, to the list of approved independent Alabama institutions eligible for the grant program.
Paul Hankins, president of the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, testified in opposition. He said the student grant program has historically required regional accreditation (SACS) and nonprofit status, which ensure degree recognition and protect students. "Without an accredited degree, a student cannot use it to pursue graduate study or professional credentialing," Hankins said, urging Selma University to pursue SACS accreditation to meet the existing standard.
Dr. San Franangelou Angelon (transcript: "Doctor Angion"), representing Selma University, spoke in support. He said Selma University was founded in 1878, has operated continuously at its present location for more than a century, and has recently stabilized under new leadership and financial auditing. He noted the university achieved a 10-year reaffirmation in February 2024 from the Association for Biblical Higher Education, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and that enrollment grew to about 100 students in fall 2024.
Dr. Mitch Purcell of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education took a neutral position and advised the committee that Selma University is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education but is not yet certified to receive Title IV federal student-aid funds; ACHE staff said federal Title IV approval is required before state grants can be distributed to the institution's students. Purcell said the bill would enable access once federal approval is obtained but that, in the short term, no state grant funds would be disbursed to Selma University until that federal process is complete.
Committee members noted the long-standing SACS standard and raised concerns about diluting funding for currently eligible private institutions. The committee did not vote on the bill at the public hearing.
