Trump administration to give $640 million to historically black and tribal colleges
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US Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the department had scrutinised its federal grants to ensure taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programmes.
PHOTO: EPA
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US President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans on Sept 15 to invest US$500 million (S$640 million) in historically black colleges and tribal universities, days after ending US$350 million in grants to programmes for colleges with large numbers of Hispanic students and other minority-serving institutions.
Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and tribally controlled colleges and universities (TCCUs) will receive an additional US$495 million on top of their anticipated 2025 investment, an increase of 48.4 per cent and 109.3 per cent, respectively, the US Education Department said in a statement.
In total, HBCUs will receive more than US$1.34 billion, and TCCUs will receive over US$108 million from the department for fiscal year 2025, it added.
The department said the funding “will be repurposed from programmes that the department has determined were not in the best interest of students and families”.
Mr Trump has used federal funding as leverage in his dealings with educational institutions.
He has threatened to cut federal funding
On Sept 15, US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said: “The department has carefully scrutinised our federal grants, ensuring that taxpayers are not funding racially discriminatory programmes, but those programmes which promote merit and excellence in education.” REUTERS
