Strengthening Support for HBCUs

Date Signed: April 23, 2025

Signed by: President Donald J. Trump

Executive Summary

This executive order reestablishes and expands the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It aims to elevate the role and effectiveness of HBCUs in delivering high-quality education and fostering economic opportunity. The order sets forth a new structure under the Executive Office of the President and outlines efforts to strengthen private-sector involvement, encourage public-private partnerships, and enhance collaboration across federal agencies. It also revokes a previous 2021 executive order related to HBCUs and disbands an advisory council. See the table at the bottom of the article for a comparison of what changed due to revocation.

Key Provisions

• White House Initiative on HBCUs – Establishment

• Creates the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, housed in the Executive Office of the President and led by a presidentially appointed Executive Director. (Sec. 3(a))

• Mission of the Initiative – Private Sector Role

• Expand private-sector and foundation support to:
• Strengthen financial management and long-term planning (Sec. 3(b)(i)(A))
• Upgrade infrastructure and technology at HBCUs (Sec. 3(b)(i)(B))
• Provide student development programs in high-growth industries (Sec. 3(b)(i)(C))

• Mission of the Initiative – Enhancing HBCUs’ Capabilities

• Key efforts include:
• Supporting implementation of the HBCU PARTNERS Act (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(A))
• Promoting innovation and excellence in consultation with HBCU stakeholders (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(B))
• Encouraging partnerships to develop research centers and academic programs (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(C))
• Improving public access to information about HBCUs (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(D))
• Sharing best practices within the HBCU community (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(E))
• Promoting student success through affordability and infrastructure improvements (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(F))
• Building educational pipelines through early partnerships (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(G))
• Urging state support for 1890 Land-Grant Institutions (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(H))
• Removing funding access barriers in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and state governments (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(I))
• Boosting HBCU competitiveness for federal research funding (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(J))
• Hosting an annual White House Summit on HBCUs (Sec. 3(b)(ii)(K))

• Agency Participation

• Federal agencies must support the Initiative and provide necessary information, with each agency covering its own costs. (Sec. 3(c))

• President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs

• Reestablishes the Board under the Department of Education.
• Includes representatives from sectors such as business, philanthropy, and education, and HBCU presidents.
• Advises the President on HBCU-related matters through the Initiative.
• The Department of Education will provide support and follow federal advisory guidelines. (Sec. 4(a)-(c))

• Annual Accountability Report

• The Executive Director must provide a yearly report to the President evaluating the federal government's impact on HBCUs and offering recommendations. (Sec. 5(a))

• Revocation of Prior Order and Disbanding of Advisory Council

• Revokes Executive Order 14041 (September 3, 2021).

• Executive Order Comparison