The state Senate's Higher Education Commitee chairman says, he's been assured, there won't be any mergers of Georgia's historically black universities.

Savannah-area State Senator Buddy Carter says, that word comes from University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby.

Carter says, Huckaby told him, historically-black schools won't be on a coming list of colleges to be merged amid legislative cost-cutting.

"I know the Chancellor well enough to know that he doesn't make those decisions based on politics," Carter says. "But at the same time, I think that he understands the politics of it. And he understands that there might be some areas and situations that, at least to get us started initially, would be easier to do.

Merging historically black Savannah and Albany State Universities with cross-town schools has generated heated push-back in those cities.

University system officials say, they won't comment on the potential mergers until they're announced, possibly later this month.

Tags: Savannah, Albany, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Buddy Carter, Savannah State University, GPB News, HBCU, historically black colleges and universities, Albany State University, merger, Senate Higher Education Committee, Hank Huckaby, Darton College, Senator Buddy Carter, Chancellor Hank Huckaby