A new school year often means new responsibilities, which, for students, can range from new leadership positions in clubs to a slew of newer, harder classes. For a select group of students, though, part of their new responsibilities will include serving the White House.

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced the 2015 HBCU All-Stars, a group of 83 undergraduate, master’s and professional students at historically black colleges and universities recognized for their accomplishments. They were chosen from more than 450 applicants.

“We looked at three things when we selected them as All-Stars: one is their academic achievement, another is their civic engagement and another is their campus-based leadership,” says Ivory A. Toldson, acting executive director for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

[Figure out if you should attend a historically black college.]

The All-Stars program, now in its second year, is part of the initiative, which aims to strengthen the education, programs and other offerings these schools provide. Students will serve as ambassadors for their campuses and act as liaisons between their schools and the White House, Toldson says.

In the last few decades, many historically black institutions have seen enrollment numbers plummet and struggled financially, making some doubt how long the 105 HBCUs will last. Morris Brown College filed for bankruptcy in 2012, but it was approved to exit bankruptcy in March. A Howard University trustee said in 2013 the school would soon close if it didn’t change.

There have been Reddit discussions and Twitter fights on the value of going to a predominantly black school. Several articles have also questioned whether the education offered at these institutions is as strong as others.

U.S. News spoke with some of the 2015 HBCU All-Stars about misconceptions that some have about historically black schools and what it’s really like to attend one.

Jamie Binns, junior at Talladega College: Binns didn’t always plan on going to an HBCU, but after getting into and later enrolling at Talladega College in Alabama, he’s grateful for the experience.

[Learn how HBCUs are reaching out to community college students in California.]

“I would like to think that my HBCU has done well for me and has been able to afford me a lot of opportunities,” says Binns, who is president of his school’s student government association, a member of the track and field team and a member of the presidential honor society.

He wants people to realize that historically black colleges can be just as challenging as any other.

“An HBCU experience, or an HBCU education rather, is not inferior to a predominantly white institution,” says Binns. HBCUs have had prestigious alumni go out and do great things, he says.

And he’s right. Some of these alumni, which come from various black colleges, include film director Spike Lee, author Toni Morrison and civil rights activist Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

Angelica Willis, junior at North Carolina A&T State University: Before becoming an undergrad, Angelica Willis knew some of the professors at North Carolina A&T State University, where her mother also attended. When Willis arrived as a freshman, the school almost felt like home.

[See the 2016 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Rankings.]

“I love the family environment,” says Willis, who has a 4.0 GPA as a computer science major and mentors other students at the school. “It just seems so friendly and open.”

Before attending A&T, she’d heard “it was going to be a big party school” and that she might not be ready for the environment.

“That was definitely a big myth,” she says. “Though A&T is known for it’s great homecoming and great functions on campus, and that sort of thing, A&T is the type of school that is what you make it.”

For example: Willis isn’t into partying as much as other students, but that doesn’t mean her schedule is empty. A&T still keeps her busy as a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, a member of the school’s honors program and other extracurricular activities.

Landon Wright, senior at Bethune-Cookman University: Wright — an accounting major, resident assistant and vice president for the Florida school’s empowerment group, Brother 2 Brother — thinks many people wrongly believe that students from historically black colleges are not prepared for the real world.

In his experience, he says, many HBCU students have been successful after undergrad, working at places such as the defense and technology company Lockheed Martin.

“I know a couple of students that interned with, actually, the same accounting firm I interned with but now they’re working at Microsoft,” says Wright, who interned at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Prospective students interested in attending a historically black school can certainly have a fulfilling and challenging college experience, the All-Stars say. The close-knit relationship with professors pushes students to be successful, they say.

“They’re very transparent with you, and I like that,” Wright says. “You can even talk to them outside of school.”

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HBCU Academic ‘All-Stars’ Separate Fact From Fiction About Campus Life originally appeared on usnews.com