“For nearly 200 years, HBCUs have been engines of opportunity in communities, advancing critical innovations and uplifting local industries across the nation,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a Sept. 22 statement. “This new investment will help ensure these vital institutions have the resources they need to continue delivering world-class education and to prepare students for success in a rapidly evolving economy.”
Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent said HBCUs “remain central to our nation’s higher education ecosystem, fueling workforce development, driving economic growth in their communities, and cultivating leaders across sectors including STEM, education, public service, and business.”
The Trump Administration will also award more than $61 million in additional funding for Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, the department said.
Leaders of organizations that represent the recipient institutions expressed gratitude to the Trump administration for the investments.
Dr. Harry L. Williams, president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, an organization that represents publicly supported HBCUs, lauded the federal investment in HBCUs, saying it builds on the supplemental amount of $435 million allocated in fiscal 2025.
“We applaud the Trump administration for doubling down on their investments into HBCUs as we build the workforce and develop the leaders that will solidify our nation’s global competitiveness for decades to come,” Williams said in a statement.
