Most high school students have little to no familiarity with HBCUs, a new study conducted by the United Negro College Fund and published on Friday revealed.

The UNCF surveyed nearly 150 students, teachers and school counselors across seven high schools in the Northeast, Midwest and West. It found a disconnect between what educators know about HBCUs and what students are learning about them.

High school students have little knowledge of HBCUs, according to a UNCF study

According to the UNCF, 67% of teachers and 60% of school counselors said they were knowledgeable about HBCUs. Yet, 60% of students said they were either not at all familiar or only slightly familiar with these institutions.

A lack of familiarity regarding HBCUs was most noticeable in non-Black students, including 83% of Hispanic students and 80% of white students who reported little or no familiarity with HBCUs. About half of Black and multiracial students said they had low familiarity.

“The pivotal role of K-12 schools in shaping students’ college aspirations and preparedness cannot be overstated,” Meredith B.L. Anderson, a co-author of the study and the UNCF’s Director of K-12 Research and Advocacy, said. “Teachers and school counselors carry considerable influence in guiding students through the college application process.”

According to the study, 53% of students said school counselors never or rarely suggested attending an HBCU, while 54% said counselors never or rarely provided resources about HBCU attendance. As a result, only 14% of students said they are planning to attend an HBCU after being encouraged by a teacher or counselor to do so.

The UNCF gave recommendations to raise awareness about HBCUs among high school students

The UNCF gave a list of recommendations to both high schools and HBCUs to help close the gap between educators’ familiarity with HBCUs and high school students’ lack thereof.

“We believe the findings of this study will contribute to dismantling barriers surrounding higher education and perceptions of HBCUs,” Dr. Tia Dolet, co-author of the study and the founder of Thirdspace Collective Consulting. “It will help build bridges between schools, communities, and HBCUs to enhance college access for all students.”

For high schools and districts, the organization recommended increasing exposure to HBCU scholarships and financial aid opportunities, training teachers to review student data to identify achievement gaps and providing anti-bias training for teachers and counselors.

The UNCF also gave HBCUs recommendations that include distributing financial aid and scholarship information directly to high schools, sharing academic and student support resources with local communities and partnering with K-12 schools to support anti-bias training initiatives.