WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Trump is signing an executive order creating a White House initiative to empower historically Black colleges and universities within the Executive Office of the President.
It’s designed to further promote schools that Trump, and his predecessor, Joe Biden, have spent years prioritizing. But it comes at a time when the Trump administration has sought to scale back the Department of Education and various federal programs that provide funding to HBCUs.
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Trump’s Wednesday order also seeks to promote private-sector partnerships with HBCUs and schools’ workforce preparation in high-growth industries like technology and finance, while removing traditional barriers to grant funding. And the White House plans an annual HBCU summit.
The Biden administration announced last fall additional federal investments for HBCUs totaling $1.3 billion. A Trump 2017 executive order created a presidential board of advisers on HBCUs.
In 2019, Trump signed a bipartisan bill permanently providing more than $250 million annually to HBCUs.