According to the Journal of Black in Higher Education, in 1984, just 20.3 percent of all 18- to 24-year-old African Americans were enrolled in higher education. In 2004, that percentage had risen to 31.8 percent. While the number of college attendees has risen substantially in 20 years, many African American students are unable to complete their educations because they don’t have the money to pay for college. Several government and private organizations offer African American college grants–financial aid that, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid.

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Duke University has a long and storied history, beginning in the mid-1800s. The university was founded as a private school, and its name was changed to Trinity College when it became associated with the Methodist Church shortly before the Civil War. In 1892, the college was moved to Durham, and rechristened Duke University in 1924, after a prominent college official. Today, the Duke family oversees an endowment that provides funding for educational initiatives in the region.

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