Reading Comprehension

In 1994, slightly fewer than one million African-American students were enrolled in either 2-year or 4-year undergraduate institutions, making up just over 9 percent of all college students. By 2004, the number of African-American students enrolled had more than doubled, so that they comprised about 13 percent of all college students. Over the past decade, enrollment rates at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have grown at a much faster rate than enrollment rates of all college students.

Although historically black colleges and universities represent only 3 percent of all colleges and universities, they enroll close to a third of all African-American college students. They serve a disproportionate number of all African-American students pursuing careers that are critical to the competitiveness of this nation; forty percent of their students pursue a 4-year degree in science, technology, engineering, or math, and about half of all African-American students in teaching fields have attended HBCUs. According to a study conducted by the National Science Foundation, Fisk University graduates more African-Americans who go on to earn a PhD in the natural sciences per year than any school in the nation, in spite of having a student body of fewer than 1,000 students.

But despite this progress, these institutions continue to face a unique set of challenges, including limited resources and budgets. HBCUs-and all traditional colleges and universities, for that matter-continue to face the challenge of the skyrocketing cost of a college education. Furthermore, the historically black colleges and universities tend to have smaller endowments than other comparable institutions. Institutional endowments represent necessary shelter against the winds of change in higher education. Most of the HBCU institutions have little or no endowment to speak of, and too many struggle to pay their bills on time, to provide scholarship funds for needy, highly qualified students, and to pay faculty and staff a decent salary.


With which of the following statements concerning Shaw University, a HBCU in North Carolina, would the author of this passage most likely agree?

A
Shaw University has likely seen its enrollment rise in the last decade, but may financially struggle to provide for its students and faculty.
B
Shaw University may have seen its enrollment rise, but probably not as quickly as other HBCUs around the country.
C
Shaw University probably has more students enrolled in the natural sciences and math than in teaching or psychology.
D
Shaw University enrolls close to a third of all African-American students, even though HBCUs represent only three percent of all colleges.
E
Shaw University may have a smaller institutional endowment than other HBCUs, leaving it vulnerable to sudden changes in the economy.