Cuts to higher education programs have been the norm under the Trump administration. On Monday they announced where at least some of that money is going.
The Trump administration is diverting nearly $500 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tribal universities, according to a Monday announcement.
The U.S. Department of Education is also awarding $500 million for charter schools, the “largest investment ever” in the program and $160 million toward American history and civics grants, according to the administration.
The funding comes largely as a result of cuts to other institutions, according to The New York Times. A U.S. Department of Education spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request to confirm that information.
“Today, the Department is making three massive investments — redirecting financial support away from ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement.
“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. The Trump Administration will use every available tool to meaningfully advance educational outcomes and ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed in life,” she said.
The Trump administration recently announced it was ending $350 million of discretionary funding to several grant programs at minority-serving institutions across the country, claiming that they are discriminatory.
Minority-serving institutions are colleges and universities that enroll a high percentage of minority students and thus receive federal funding, such as Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
HBCUs are also grouped under the term, but don’t have percentage requirements because they were established in 1964, when Black students were often barred from other institutions.
The walking back of grant programming didn’t impact HBCUs, a U.S. Department of Education spokesperson confirmed at the time.
The nearly $500 million to HBCUs and tribal universities will increase their fiscal year investment to $1.34 billion and $108 million from the department.
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