Since its inception in 1944, UNCF has grown to become the nation's oldest and most successful African American higher education assistance organization. Our mission is to enhance the quality of education by providing financial assistance to deserving students, raising operating funds for member colleges and universities, and increasing access to technology for students and faculty at historically black colleges and universities. UNCF helps promising students attend college and graduate by providing operating funds for its 39 member colleges, administering 400 scholarship and internship programs, and serving as a national advocate for the importance of minority higher education by representing the public policy interests of its students and member colleges.