AUSTIN (KXAN) — For the first time Thursday morning, there was a caucus at the Texas Capitol for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The caucus was announced by State Rep. Ron Reynolds and HBCU students.

Reynolds said it would support all HBCUs in Texas, as well as affiliated programs such as fraternities and alumni networks.

“We need to make sure as a state that we’re adequately funding our HBCUs, and we haven’t done so,” Reynolds said. “We’ve been fighting—I know that our caucus has been fighting to make sure that Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern University, two of our state HBCUs, receive adequate funding, and they have not.”

There are nine HBCUs in the state.