1. Short title This Act may be cited as the HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act or the HBCU PARTNERS Act . 2. Findings and purposes (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) As many colleges and universities across the country kept their doors closed to African-American applicants, historically Black colleges and universities (referred to in this section as HBCUs ) played a central role in ensuring that African Americans could attain an excellent education. (2) Today, HBCUs continue to play a critical role in ensuring that African Americans, and those of all races, can access high-quality educational opportunities. (3) HBCUs enroll nearly 300,000 students, an estimated 70 percent of whom come from low-income backgrounds and 80 percent of whom are African American. (4) According to the National Association For Equal Opportunity In Higher Education, HBCUs make up just 3 percent of American institutions of higher education but graduate more than a fifth of African-American college students. (5) According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (referred to in this section as TMCF ), approximately 9 percent of all African-American college students attend HBCUs. (6) A March 2017 report from the Education Trust concluded that HBCUs have higher completion rates for African-American students than other institutions serving similar student populations. (7) In 2014, HBCUs generated a total direct economic impact of $14,800,000,000 and created more than 134,000 jobs, according to a study commissioned by the United Negro College Fund (referred to in this section as UNCF ). (8) According to TMCF, 40 percent of African-American Members of Congress and 80 percent of African-American judges are graduates of HBCUs. (9) According to UNCF, in 2013, HBCUs awarded a quarter of all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics bachelor’s degrees awarded to African Americans. (10) According to UNCF, African-American graduates of HBCUs are almost twice as likely as African Americans