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President Donald Trump signed the HBCU Executive Order to support black colleges and universities in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 28, 2017, in Washington, D.C. The executive order moves an initiative to assist the historically black colleges and universities from the Department of Education back to the White House. Photo by Aude Guerrucci-Pool/Getty Images
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Donald Trump’s budget proposal hits HBCUs hard

United Negro College Fund says promises would be ‘unfulfilled’

Clinton Yates @clintonyates
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All Day HBCU Donald Trump Education United Negro College Fund

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    1:30 PMWhen Donald Trump released his budget proposal Thursday, it sent chills down the spines of people working in all sorts of different industries. Science, art, food, you name it. But there’s another field that would be adversely affected by the plan: historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In short, Trump pulled a full-blown okey doke on all those college presidents who decided to show up to his office for a photo-op.

    Even at the time, Morehouse College’s president knew what was up and said as much, publicly. Now, it’s clear that was all just for show and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is not happy about it.

    “Last month, while meeting with presidents of the nation’s HBCUs, President Trump pledged to do more for HBCUs than any other president has done before. However, this budget is not reflective of that sentiment,” said UNCF president and CEO Michael L. Lomax in a statement. “Without strong federal investments, President Trump’s commitment to HBCUs and the rebuilding of African-American communities will be promises unfulfilled. While the budget blueprint provides only an outline of the administration’s budget priorities, we are deeply concerned about the proposals highlighted for the U.S. Department of Education, which include flat (or potentially reduced) funding for the essential Title III historically black colleges and universities program and deep cuts to federal student aid programs.”

    The blueprint plans to cut nearly $4 billion in Pell Grant funding, which 70 percent of students at HBCUs rely on to study at the university level. More simply, without Pell Grants, black kids aren’t going to college. Why the leaders of America’s historically black institutions ever thought this president would actually help that cause? Who knows.

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