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Michigan's Affirmative Action Ban Struck Down - From HBCU initiatives to the future of affirmative action in the college admissions process, see how education news has affected Blacks in 2012.  —Dorkys Ramos Michigan's six-year-old affirmative action ban was deemed unconstitutional by a federal appeals court. Opponents of the law hope the ruling will affect anti-affirmative action policies around the country. Defenders of the ban plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. (Photo: AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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Department of Education Pledges Funds for HBCUs - In an attempt to overturn the costly effects that budget cuts have had on historically Black colleges and universities, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 97 HBCUs will receive $227.9 million in federal funding for grants. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Morehouse to Introduce Black LGBT Course - Morehouse College will offer a course on Black lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history and culture for credit beginning Spring 2013. The course will look into Black feminism, critical cultural theory and influential Black LGBT leaders. (Photo: Courtesy Morehouse College)

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NAACP Goes After NYC's Elite Schools - The NAACP Legal Defense Fund filed a federal civil rights complaint with the Department of Education claiming that New York City's eight elite high schools have been discriminating against African-American and Latino students. The organization believes that the admissions process works against diversity, and it is looking for policy improvements. (Photo: AP Photo/Richard Drew)

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Spelman Chooses Health Over Sports - Spelman decided to use the school's $1 million athletics department budget and put it into a new wellness program instead. The college hopes the health initiative helps its all-female student body learn about preventive measures for illnesses that are prevalent in our community such as diabetes, obesity and breast cancer. (Photo: David M Simpson/spelman.edu)

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Affirmative Action Goes Before Supreme Court - The Supreme Court took on an affirmative action case after student Abigail Noel Fisher's application to the University of Texas was rejected. Fisher claims the school's entry process favors African-American and Latino applicants over other races. A ruling is expected in early 2013.  (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

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Graduation Rate Narrows Between Black and White Athletes - A report earlier this year announced that the graduation gap between Black and white student athletes has narrowed by almost 4 percent in the last year. The study showed that the graduation rate for African-American male basketball student athletes stands at 60 percent while white players have a rate of 88 percent. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

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African-American Students Feel More Prepared for College - A study conducted by Chicago-based TRU revealed that 36 percent of Black high school students felt prepared for college compared to 28 percent of white students. African-American students also gave more thought to their applications and felt that the admissions process was fair. (Photo: Getty Images/STOCK)

Photo By Getty Images/STOCK

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Oprah's Academy Graduates Its First Class - Oprah Winfrey's Leadership Academy for Girls graduated its first group of 72 students in January. The young women went on to pursue higher education in South African and American universities. (Photo: Michelly Rall/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Michelly Rall/Getty Images

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Congress Extends Low Student Loan Interest Rate - Congress decided to extend the 3.4 percent interest rates on federally subsidized student loans rather than doubling the rate to 6.8 percent. The amount of time an undergraduate student can attend school without accruing interest was also limited to six years.  (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Obama Sends Threat to Colleges - President Obama warned that if colleges kept raising tuition costs each year, they would see a cut to their federal funding.  (Photo: REUTERS/Larry Downing)

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Education Equals Better Health - A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered that those with more education tend to live healthier lifestyles. In addition, the more money a person earns, the less likely they are to develop chronic illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. (Photo: Getty/STOCK)

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White House Hosts HBCU Entrepreneurship Conference - In April, the White House hosted a forum to promote entrepreneurship programs in Black colleges. The Small Business Administration met with HBCU institutions, business owners and government officials to discuss ways to connect students with business resources.  (Photo: Matt McClain/Washington Post/Getty Images)

Photo By Matt McClain/Washington Post/Getty Images