How Today’s Politics are Affecting the Future of HBCU’s

 Historically Black Colleges and Universities house 10 percent of all African American students. According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, HBCUs are establishments of higher learning developed as a way for Black students to receive education during the post slavery times, where many schools were White only. Today’s emerging politics on federal funding, DEI rollbacks, and loan policy changes play a critical role in the future of HBCUs, influencing their enrollment, resources, accessibility, and threatening their core purpose — higher education for African American students. 

Federal Funding

Political choices regarding funding, specifically for HBCU students, are threatening the expansion of Universities. HBCUs were set to receive less funding as a result of President Donald J. Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill,” as the statement reduced the amount of money that can be borrowed by students and their families. However, in April of 2025, Trump constructed several executive orders titled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy” that seemingly showed a sense of support for the notions that HBCU students were going through as a result of the “Big Beautiful Bill.”  The order made a claim that reads,  “People are treated as individuals, not components of a particular race or group.” As stated by the Chronicle of Higher Education, more than $140 million in federal research grants for HBCUs have been canceled since March. These grants have been eliminated because they’ve been found to promote disparate impact, which assumes unlawful discrimination based on race or sex. The idea of disparate impact was also a claim mentioned in the Presidential Executive Orders of April 2025. There have been reports of $24 million grant cuts at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and $11 million grant cuts at Howard University. These federal cuts are dangerous for HBCUs because they stunt their ability to grow, which raises uncertainty for the future. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rollbacks

The reduction of DEI initiatives put a strain on HBCU students' future opportunities. Reported by “The Hilltop”, Trump's order 14151 titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” gave the green light for the elimination of all DEI programs. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Attorney General were instructed to review and revise federal employment practices, union contractors, and training policies or programs — all places that might have been using diversity-focused hiring initiatives. If it did not abide by law, it was terminated. This call-to-action sparked a rise in disruption of student career paths because the DEI system assisted in securing internships and post-graduate jobs for many HBCU students. The diversity, equity, and inclusion rollbacks will continue to disturb programs critical to student success. 

Loan Policy Changes

The shift in loan policy changes is causing an increase in debt and a decrease in enrollment. According to “UNCF.Org”, students at HBCUs borrow money at much higher rates than their non-HBCU peers. The “Big Beautiful Bill Act” reshaped the Parent PLUS Loan. It states that starting July 1, 2026, for undergraduate students, Parent PLUS loan borrowers will have a new limit of $20,000 per academic year, per student, while most HBCU tuitions are between $7k and $48k. Families will also lose access to all Income Driven Repayment plans, which allow payment plans based on income and family size rather than the amount you owe. HBCUs and their students depend on these attainable loan programs for the affordability and student retention perks. If families are not able to make their payments due to the cutbacks, there will be a decline in HBCU enrollment and social equity. The politics of today’s world are affecting the future of many HBCUs. With funding cuts, DEI rollbacks, and loan policy changes, unpredictability is growing within HBCU communities. Policies must neutralize politics, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities' future might be on the line.