Building Bridges Education expands New England HBCU access program

Building Bridges Education will host its 2026 HBCU program Oct. 14-16 in Boston and at Harvard University, reaching more than 2,500 students from over 90 New England high schools. The effort aims to connect students with HBCUs, scholarship aid, admissions interviews and career pathways in a region with no historically Black colleges.

Why it matters: - New England has no HBCUs, which can limit direct access to campuses, admissions leaders and enrollment pathways for students in the region. - Building Bridges Education says its program has already helped thousands of students connect with HBCUs, secure more than $13 million in scholarships and earn more than 750 college acceptances. - The 2026 event aims to expand college access while linking HBCU pathways to careers, graduate study and research.

What happened: - Building Bridges Education will host its annual Building Bridges HBCU Program from Oct. 14-16, 2026. - The main HBCU College Fair, Interview Day and Career and Pathways Expo will be held Oct. 15 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston. - More than 90 high schools from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine are expected to participate. - More than 2,500 students are expected to attend the fair. - The week also includes the Building Bridges HBCU Summit at Harvard University and a Legacy Gala at the end of the program.

The details: - Students will meet directly with HBCU admissions representatives, explore academic programs and scholarship opportunities, and take part in on-site interviews. - The expanded Career & Pathways Expo is being held with the Boston Public Schools Office of College, Career & Life Readiness. - Participating HBCUs include Spelman College, Howard University, Tuskegee University, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T State University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Morgan State University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Claflin University. - The 2025 on-site interview process produced 179 college acceptances and more than $4.4 million in scholarship offers over four years. - BBE said it is aiming to surpass those results in 2026. - The summit at Harvard will bring together higher education leaders, educators, researchers, community leaders and other stakeholders to discuss access, partnerships and student success. - Building Bridges Education will also highlight a partnership with Clark Atlanta University and its Boston presence. - Clark Atlanta University will offer graduate pathways for educators in K–12 leadership, higher education leadership and a Master of Arts in Teaching, plus certificates in educational leadership and teaching. - BBE is starting a partnership with the Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center, the research arm of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. - Leaders from the Payne Research Center will join HBCU Week to connect national research with student and community experience in New England.

Between the lines: - The program is moving beyond college fairs and into a broader ecosystem of access, combining admissions, career exposure, graduate education and research. - The Boston Public Schools partnership signals a shift toward viewing college as one step in a longer education-to-career pipeline. - Bringing HBCU leaders to New England may help reduce the distance barrier that can keep some students from seriously considering these schools.

What's next: - Building Bridges Education will try to build on its 2025 admissions and scholarship results during the 2026 interview day. - The partnership with Clark Atlanta University is set to create new graduate education options for educators across New England. - The Payne Research Center collaboration will add research and data to future HBCU Week programming. - The program will close with the Legacy Gala, which will honor the people and partnerships supporting student opportunity.

The bottom line: - Building Bridges Education is turning New England into a more direct gateway to HBCUs, and the 2026 program is its biggest push yet.