black colleges

Howard University has seen its share of troubles lately. Faculty recently expressed their frustration with the school's Board of Trustees with a "no-confidence" vote, weeks after the university's president announced a surprise early retirement and Moody's downgraded the school's credit rating. But school administrators remain confident in the school's future.

The ruling in the closely watched case found that the state's practices discouraged students from considering black colleges and universities. It follows a recent report that concluded states were pitting their historically black institutions against predominantly white schools.