WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is redirecting nearly $500 million in federal funding toward historically Black colleges and tribal colleges, a one-time investment covered primarily by cuts to other colleges serving large numbers of minority students.
The Education Department announced the funding boost following $350 million in cuts to grants for colleges catering primarily to Hispanic students, asserting that those grants were unconstitutional due to their specific enrollment thresholds.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon affirmed that the plan aims to allocate funds away from “ineffective and discriminatory programs” and towards initiatives that enhance student success.
“The Department has thoroughly reviewed our federal grants to ensure fiscal responsibility and equitable support in education,” McMahon stated.
The funding includes an approximate $60 million for charter schools and $137 million for American history and civics grants. President Donald Trump previously directed agencies to reallocate federal funds to support charter schools and school choice initiatives.
This funding represents a remarkable 48% increase for HBCUs and more than doubles the financial support for tribal universities.
In asserting its authority over educational funding, the department is leveraging a new stopgap funding bill that grants executive branches greater control over federal spending.
Despite the funding promises, critics have voiced opposition, stating that cuts to minority-serving programs disregard decades of bipartisan contributions to higher education equality.
A Justice Department memo argues that grants specifically for Hispanic-serving institutions fall under unconstitutional requirements, having faced pushback from multiple stakeholders over their eligibility criteria.
The cuts have elicited strong backlash from Democrats who argue that these educational programs have historically provided pathways for underserved communities, further deepening the controversy around the administration's funding strategies.
