President Trump Signs New Executive Order Impacting HBCUs

President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order to move federal oversight of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from the Department of Education to the White House, a symbolic gesture meant to elevate their visibility and importance. Supporters say it could lead to more direct funding opportunities and influence in policymaking. The order also establishes a presidential advisory board and appoints an executive director to coordinate efforts across agencies and private sectors.

However, critics argue the order lacks specific funding commitments, like the five percent grant allocation previously advocated, and does not address the $5 billion in federal revenue HBCUs receive annually. What’s more, the executive order’s broader education policy agenda, including cuts to DEI programs and a freeze on federal funding, could indirectly impact Black higher-education institutions by reducing overall educational resources.

But this isn’t the administration’s first attempt to seemingly court HBCUs. Early in Trump’s first term, he hosted HBCU leaders at the White House and signed a similar order in 2017. But since then, funding levels have remained inconsistent, and the policy moves like rolling back Obama-era protections in education have left many in the HBCU community skeptical.

During Trump’s first term, he signed legislation that set aside $850 million to HBCUs over a ten-year period. This funding was part of the FUTURE Act, signed into law in December 2019, which guaranteed more than $2.5 billion in federal support for HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions. His administration also increased annual grants for HBCUs by 17 percent in 2020, however, critics argued that these funding increases were offset by proposed cuts to other federal education programs, potentially undermining the overall support for the institutions.