(AURN News) — In a major blow to historically Black colleges and universities, the Trump administration has cut federal funding to programs it labeled “racially discriminatory discretionary grant programs at Minority-Serving Institutions.”
The Education Department confirmed that the “Strengthening Predominantly Black Institutions” initiative will no longer receive funding. Several other Minority-Serving Institution programs — including those serving Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, and science and engineering students — are also affected.
“Discrimination based upon race or ethnicity has no place in the United States,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.”
McMahon also added: “Diversity is not merely the presence of a skin color. Stereotyping an individual based on immutable characteristics diminishes the full picture of that person’s life and contributions, including their character, resiliency, and merit. The Department looks forward to working with Congress to reenvision these programs to support institutions that serve underprepared or under-resourced students without relying on race quotas and will continue fighting to ensure that students are judged as individuals, not prejudged by their membership of a racial group.”
Nearly $350 million in discretionary funds had been expected to support the affected programs in the 2025 fiscal year.
Click play to listen to the AURN News report from Jamie Jackson:
The post Trump Administration Ends Federal Funding for Key HBCU Grant Programs appeared first on American Urban Radio Networks.
