September Was a Good Month for HBCUs

Last October, the Chronicle of Higher Education wrote that it had been an annus horribilis for US college presidents and leaders amidst a series of challenges and pressures, both from within academia and from outside political forces. 2025 has seen increased pressures and challenges to institutional autonomy, but for the USA’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the start of the 2025/2026 academic year saw some positive developments. Here’s a look at how HBCUs are rising above some of the issues that are plaguing American higher education this year.

Boosts in federal funding

While many US institutions are facing budget cuts and threats from the Trump administration in relation to federal funding, HBCUs were tagged for a large increase. In September, the Department of Education announced that it would redirect $500 million in funds to HBCUs and tribal universities.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has shown favor for HBCUs. During his first term, Trump prioritized a $250 million annual funding commitment for HBCUs, and earlier this year the White House developed a new role intended to oversee its Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Strengthening international relations

September also saw the 2025 Association of African Universities (AAU) symposium, which brought together the Historic African Diaspora Placement Program (HADIP) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), along with policy makers, university leaders, academics, and other philanthropic organizations in higher education to strengthen partnerships between African universities and HBCUs in the USA.

As well as exploring funding strategies and shared values, the symposium looked at how African universities and HBCUs could expand cross-continental collaboration with initiatives like exchange programs, joint degree programs and financial support for students.

UNCF also announced a collaboration with 8B Education Investments, a social impact fintech platform which works to increase access to global education opportunities for African students. UNCF and 8B will work together to connect African students to HBCUs in the USA.

Generous private-sector support

Earlier this week, the HBCU’s of Atlanta, Georgia, received some very welcome and exciting news. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has pledged $50 million in financial aid to the four HBCUs in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelmen College, and Morris Brown College will be the beneficiaries of “gap scholarships” aimed at increasing graduation rates and supporting students in financial need, including those eligible for Pell Grants.

Arther M. Blank, chairman of the foundation, founder of the national DIY chain, Home Depot, and a signatory to the Giving Pledge, said that “Atlanta holds a special place in [his] heart” and that his “hope is that by helping more students earn their degrees…we are investing in a cycle of opportunity that benefits young people.”

The Blank Foundation support follows on another generous donation from a Giving Pledge signatory. In September, UNCF shared the news that its $1 billion Capital Campaign had received a $70 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. UNCF's $1 billion Capital Campaign aims to increase the UNCF's impact and includes the goal of raising a $370 million pooled endowment fund to support its 37 member universities.

Increased interest in HBCUs

Financial support, such as the gifts from Blank and Scott, is very welcome. Many HBCUs are seeing a surge in applications and enrollments, in part because they can be more affordable than other colleges and universities.

This year, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University enrolled more than 15,000 students – more than any other HBCU in history. And, at a time when universities and colleges across the USA are experiencing declining enrollment, some HBCUs, like Howard University and Bethune-Cookman University, are increasing enrollment by double-digit percentages.

But Beverly Daniel Tatum, a former Spelman College president, says that students are also seeking out HBCUs to find “communities where they feel affirmed” as the political climate in the USA has turned against diversity and inclusion in higher education. Tatum explained to the Guardian that Black students are turning to HBCUs “because they know [they’re places] where [Black] history is not being erased.

What’s next?

HBCUs are grateful for the increases in funding from both the federal government and private donors. Approximately 70 percent of HBCU students come from low-income backgrounds, and the institutions are often underfunded.

But the support comes at a price. The $500 million in funding for HBCUs was redirected from grants the Education Department claimed were “not in the best interest of students and families,” mainly the Hispanic Serving Institution program. This program was created in 1998 to address low graduation rates within Latino communities.

It also comes at a time when the Trump administration is increasing its pressure on universities and colleges to capitulate to its vision of a conservative higher education environment in exchange for federal funding and support.

On October 1st, the administration sent notice of its “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” to nine universities, which includes committing universities to eliminating DEI initiatives, protecting and promoting conservative ideologies, and restricting the enrollment of international students. If signed, the Compact would secure preferential treatment for signatory institutions from the federal government.

Last week, MIT became the first of the nine universities to reject the Compact, and yesterday Brown University followed suit. California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has also stipulated that any California universities that signed the Compact would lose State funding, including Cal Grants. MIT’s president, Sally Kornbluth, said that the Compact “would restrict freedom of expression and [MIT’s] independence” and that it “is inconsistent with [MIT’s] core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

The Trump administration has since offered the Contract to all universities and colleges, though it has yet to be publicly accepted by any university.

*This article was published on 15 October 2025 and edited on 16 October 2025 to reflect new information.