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Historically Black College for Out-of-State Student?

Written by Sally Rubenstone | Jan. 26, 2010

Question: How can I attend an Historically Black college if I live in a state that does not have one?

There are about 81 Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU's) in the U.S.. and, of these, just over half are private institutions. This means that there are no cost cuts for students who reside in the state where the college is located, and the majority of students may come from elsewhere. In fact, the best known HBCU's, such as Howard University in Washington, D.C., Spelman and Morehouse colleges in Atlanta, GA, Fisk University in Nashville, TN, and Hampton U, in Hampton, VA, draw students from throughout the U.S.and beyond, with most students hailing from out of state. Even some of the public HBCU's, such as Grambling State in Louisiana and Jackson State in Mississippi, attract a third or more of their student populations from beyond state borders. Although students at the private HBCU's do not benefit from lower in-state tuition, they may still be able to take advantage of both need-based and merit-aid financial aid awards.

Assuming you are willing to live in a college dorm (or in an apartment near campus) rather than reside at home, there's no reason why you shouldn't consider attending an HBCU, regardless of where you live

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.