Don’t Get It Twisted HBCUs: Donald Trump is not your “friend”
Donald Trump’s move to shift the federal HBCU initiative from the Department of Education to the White House was framed as a show of support. In practice, it was symbolic and did not include any new or direct funding. While the first Trump administration did sign the FUTURE Act in 2019, which provided approximately $85 million annually in permanent funding specifically for HBCUs as part of a broader $255 million allocation to Minority-Serving Institutions, that funding increase stands in stark contrast to the scale of investment made by his successor. From fiscal years 2021 to 2024, the Biden-Harris administration directed more than $17 billion in targeted support to HBCUs through COVID-19 relief funds, institutional debt cancellation, infrastructure investment, and expanded research and development initiatives
The current Trump EO also proposed “strengthening private-sector partnerships” with HBCUs. But in today’s environment, where race-conscious initiatives and DEI programs are under sustained political attack, this proposal is fundamentally weakened. When corporate leaders fear a backlash for equity-focused hiring and training, partnership opportunities dry up.
Equally concerning is the EO’s removal of disparate impact protections, a legal framework used for decades to address inequities and hold the federal government accountable for discriminatory practices. Without these protections, the tools that helped dismantle segregation and justify equitable HBCU investment are eroded.
Just yesterday, Congress advanced the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan through the budget reconciliation process. The bill has not passed yet, but its provisions would significantly alter access to federal student aid. While there are numerous harmful tenets in the bill, including the elimination of Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS loans, the loss of deferment and forbearance options, and the consolidation of repayment plans into a single, less generous structure, three elements are particularly damaging for African American students:
1. Raising Pell Grant Eligibility to 30 Credit Hours/Year
Why it matters: Many Black students attend part-time due to work, caregiving responsibilities, or financial constraints. This change would disqualify thousands from aid simply because of their enrollment status.
Impact: Undermines access to the most critical federal resource for low-income students, limiting both enrollment and retention.
2. Eliminating Subsidized Student Loans
Why it matters: Subsidized loans help limit debt by pausing interest accrual while students are in school. Black students borrow at higher rates and often carry balances longer due to lower post-college earnings.
Impact: Increases debt burdens and exacerbates racial wealth gaps, penalizing students who already face structural disadvantages.
3. Capping Federal Loans Based on Program Cost
Why it matters: Many HBCU students pursue degrees in high-impact, high-cost fields like healthcare, law, and education. Capping loans based on program cost risks limiting access to these professional pathways.
Impact: Discourages ambitious degree choices, creates inequities across institutions, and restricts social mobility.
These are not isolated tweaks to student aid policy. They are structural changes that will disproportionately disqualify, indebt, and deter Black students from pursuing and completing higher education.
Meharry Medical College: A Model for Resilience
In contrast to this federal retrenchment, Meharry Medical College has demonstrated what forward-thinking leadership can look like. In March 2025, Meharry acquired eight medical clinics across Nashville and Memphis in a joint venture with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. These clinics currently serve over 25,000 patients and employ more than 170 staff. They will be opened to the broader community and serve as training sites for Meharry students.
President Dr. James Hildreth noted that the health care system is shifting toward outpatient care, and Meharry is positioning itself accordingly. This move not only provides real-world training environments but also creates new revenue streams, strengthening the institution's long-term sustainability.
It is a model that combines mission, strategy, and financial resilience. More institutions will need to take similar steps to protect their futures in an increasingly unstable policy environment.
Strategic Action Must Replace Symbolic Moves
Protecting the future of HBCUs and ensuring access for Black students will require more than press releases and ceremonial gestures. It will require serious, strategic planning.
HBCU leaders must prioritize financial sustainability, expand relevant academic programming, and align their models with where opportunity is growing.
Policymakers and advocates must stay engaged, question proposed legislation and hold federal and state leaders accountable for policy decisions that undermine educational equity.
Students and alumni must stay informed and push for transparency and strategy within their institutions.
Symbolism cannot shield institutions from systemic disinvestment. Strategy can. And it is time to lead with that.
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