By Victoria Mejicanos
AFRO Staff Writer
vmejicanos@afro.com
The U.S. Department of Education announced it will reallocate nearly $500 million in federal funding toward HBCUs and tribal colleges in a “one-time investment” on Sept. 15. The move came just days after the administration cut $350 million in funds for Predominantly Black Institutions and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
In a press release announcing the increased funding to HBCUs, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said, “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.”
In total, HBCUs will receive more than $1.34 billion for the 2025 fiscal year.
The changes have affected the University of Baltimore, a PBI in Maryland. Chris Hart, the director of communications for the university, wrote in a statement to the AFRO that the DOE confirmed the “elimination of the final year of a five-year grant in support of its status as a Predominantly Black Institution,” Hart wrote. He said UBalt’s budget would face a cut of about $250,000. Hart stated the current grant in the same amount will remain through to the end of the current fiscal year.
Hart confirmed that other PBIs, including Chicago State University and Trinity Washington University, also received word that their grants were eliminated.
There are 615 HSIs in the nation, according to The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. California is home to 28 percent of the country’s HSIs. California State University alone has 29 MSI grants that would be affected by the cuts, and stands to lose about $43 million due to these cuts, according to Amy Bentley-Smith, CSU communications director. CSU Chancellor Mildred Garcia said in a statement that the school is “deeply troubled” by the decision.
“Without this funding, students will lose the critical support they need to succeed in the classroom, complete their degrees on time, and achieve social mobility for themselves and their families,” said Garcia.
Bianca Machain, a student who identifies as Afro-Latina, is the vice president of Associated Students Incorporated, the student body arm of her university, Cal Poly Pomona. She shared threats to HSI’s funding is something that has been heavily discussed but has not yet been experienced until this month.
“I definitely feel as if it’s intentional,”said Machain. “Being a part of both communities has always been a struggle. So often these are communities that are pitted against each other to avoid the bigger problem of systemic racism.”
In a letter to McMahon, several members of Congress, including many in the Congressional Black Caucus, called the move divisive.
“Rather than forcing these institutions into competition over limited resources, federal policy should focus on increasing overall investment across the full spectrum of minority-serving institutions,” the letter said. “We urge you to reject efforts that pit these institutions against one another and instead champion comprehensive solutions that recognize the unique and complementary contributions of each.”
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities released a statement on Sept. 15 calling on all institutions impacted to show solidarity as well as urging the DOE to reconsider.
“We also urge our partners at HBCUs and TCUs to stand in solidarity with the broader MSI community in opposing and reversing the Department of Education’s recent decision to eliminate dedicated MSI funding,” said David Mendez, HACU interim chief executive officer. “We would welcome the opportunity to work with the office of the Secretary to this end. These funds are a vital investment in the institutions that train the future workforce of our country. The efficacy of the education and success of these students depend on this funding to ensure our nation’s future prosperity.”
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation’s largest organization exclusively representing the Black college community. In addition to supporting HBCUs the fund also has three predominately Black institutions in their membership.
In a press release, the organization applauded the decision made by the administration on Sep. 15. TMCF president and CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams said, “We applaud the Trump administration for agreeing that investments into HBCUs and their students are smart investments to ensure our nation’s global competitiveness.”