Trump Administration Redirects Funding to Historically Black Colleges and Tribal Colleges
The Trump administration has announced a significant shift in federal funding, redirecting nearly $500 million towards historically Black colleges and tribal colleges. This one-time investment is primarily covered by cuts to other colleges serving large numbers of minority students. The Education Department made this announcement just days after cutting $350 million from other grants, mostly from programs reserved for colleges with high Hispanic student enrollment.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the changes will redirect money away from “ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success.” The department has argued that certain grants, such as the Hispanic Serving Institution program, are unconstitutional because they are only available to colleges with specific minority enrollment thresholds. McMahon stated, “The Department has carefully scrutinized our federal grants, ensuring that taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programs but those programs which promote merit and excellence in education.”
Impact on Minority-Serving Institutions
The funding boost will result in a 48% increase for historically Black colleges and more than double the funding for tribal colleges and universities. However, this shift in funding has drawn criticism from Democrats, who argue that the cuts to other programs will harm social mobility for working-class Americans. The Hispanic Serving Institution program, which was created in 1998, has been cut, reversing decades of precedent. This program was designed to support colleges serving high numbers of Latino students, who have historically had lower college attendance and graduation rates compared to white students.
A lawsuit filed by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions, an anti-affirmative action group, argues that the Hispanic Serving Institution grants are unconstitutional. The Justice Department has declined to defend the program, citing concerns over racial quotas. The Education Department has also cut funding for other programs serving specific minority groups, including magnet schools, international education, and teacher training.
Charter Schools and American History Grants
In addition to the funding boost for historically Black colleges and tribal colleges, the Education Department is also redirecting $60 million towards funding for charter schools and $137 million towards American history and civics grants. This move is in line with President Donald Trump’s executive action in January, which ordered the agency to repurpose federal money towards charter schools and other school choice initiatives.
President Trump has long been a vocal supporter of historically Black colleges, and during his first term, Congress added $250 million in annual funding for these institutions. This year, Trump signed an executive action pledging an annual White House summit, an advisory board, and other support for historically Black colleges.
The Education Department’s decision to repurpose discretionary funding to match the president’s priorities has been made possible by a stopgap funding bill passed by Congress this year. This bill gives the executive branch more authority over spending decisions, allowing the department to redirect funding towards charter schools, American history grants, and historically Black colleges.
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before he departs on Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before he departs on Air Force One at Morristown Airport, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Morristown, N.J. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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