If it’s one thing President Donald Trump— the man who claimed he “saved” historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)– will do it’s defend HBCUs… no matter how questionable his motive behind it might be. Trump recently slashed funding to several diversity-forward institutions, and although many feared Black colleges would be negatively impacted by the move, it looks like the president is doubling down on his support for HBCUs.
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On Sep. 10, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon announced the Education Department will cut $350 million going to institutions championing diversity. According to McMahon, the previously designated funding violated the law because it goes to institutions that “meet racial or ethnic quotas.” But thankfully, McMahon’s target does not include HBCUs.
“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” Secretary McMahon said in a statement. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.”
Since winning in November, the president has been on a mission to end all DEI at the federal level. This means closing down DEI offices in the government, scrubbing the federal websites of key Black history moments and now cutting “discriminatory” funding for certain institutions. Critics say the DOE’s recent cuts were an obvious attack on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) amid his ongoing deportation mandate.
You may be asking “if millions are being stripped from diverse institutions, where exactly will it be redirected to?” And the answer might surprise you…
Trump’s DOE is redirecting almost $500 million to HBCUs and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)– institutions promoting Native American history and culture. McMahon said these changes take money away “from ineffective and discriminatory programs” and instead allocate funds “toward those which support student success.”
HBCUs and TCCUs will receive a one-time investment of $495 million on top of their slice of the pie in the 2025 federal budget, the department announced. Additionally, charter schools will receive a bump in funding.
This isn’t the first time Trump has handed out funding for HBCUs. He previously bragged about doing more for HBCUs than any other president, which is simply not true. Although Trump allocated hundreds of millions for HBCUs, past presidents like Barack Obama and Joe Biden directed billions to Black schools. Still, Trump is dead set on claiming to be a savior for Black schools.
Ironically, the president remains a less than popular figure on HBCU campuses, PEW Research reported. Last year, thousands of students at Howard University gathered in support of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and against Trump on election night. Not to mention dozens of anti-ICE and anti-Trump protests going down at HBCUs.
Despite the added government funding, HBCUs remain underfunded in comparison to predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Now, as more Black students continue to flock to Black colleges in historic numbers, even more funding is needed.
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