In the face of federal funding threats and policy shifts by the Trump Administration, the Our HBCUs Matter Foundation, led by Founder and CEO Brandon Graham, has launched the HBCU Funding Matters campaign. The campaign is focused on securing funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) while also preventing future funding freezes or cuts and raising awareness about HBCUs’ critical role in higher education and economic development.
Despite a legacy of supporting Black students and their surrounding communities, HBCUs have often been vulnerable to shifting political priorities. Under the current Trump Administration, executive orders, which have paused or canceled federal grants and equity-focused programs have disrupted essential funding streams. According to Graham, “The campaign directly addresses several specific threats to HBCU funding. The executive order to pause federal grants and financial aid programs has already disrupted programs like Title III funding, the 1890 Land-Grant Scholars Program, TRIO, GEAR UP, and Perkins CTE grants.” While an injunction temporarily restored some funding, the risk of future cuts remains high, jeopardizing the economic stability of HBCUs and other colleges and universities.
History has shown how interruptions in federal funding disproportionately affect HBCUs, leading to declining enrollment, staff layoffs, and stunted institutional growth. “Without immediate action, these funding threats will exacerbate inequities in higher education, weaken career preparation for HBCU graduates, and undermine the economic contributions of these institutions.”
The HBCU Funding Matters campaign uses various tools to push for policy change, including digital advocacy, grassroots organizing, and partnerships. One of its key tools, the HBCU Action Map, makes it simple for students, alumni, and supporters to contact their U.S. Senators and Representatives directly, urging them to protect HBCU funding.
“My HBCU Matters Scholars are mobilizing, amplifying awareness, and encouraging direct action within their communities,” says Graham. The campaign’s partnerships include Congresswoman Alma Adams, the HBCU Bi-Partisan Caucus leader, organizations like Google, Black Voters Matter, the NAACP, the Legal Defense Fund, and various HBCU alumni associations. These collaborations are focused on increasing public engagement and a push for long-term legislative protections.
HBCUs are not just educational institutions but engines of social and economic mobility. According to a 2017 report by the United Negro College Fund, HBCUs contribute over $14.8 billion annually to the U.S. economy and support over 134,000 jobs. Any reduction in funding would have substantial and, in some cases, devastating consequences for these institutions and the communities they serve.
Beyond economics, funding cuts have a disproportionate impact on low-income, first-generation, and students of color, posing a direct threat to college accessibility, retention, and graduation rates, as Graham shared. “Messaging also emphasizes that funding cuts disproportionately impact low-income, first-generation, and minority students, threatening college accessibility, retention, graduation rates, overall student success, and economic mobility at HBCUs.”
For Graham, the fight is about ensuring that HBCUs continue to empower generations of Black Americans and students of color to achieve the American Dream. “The HBCU Funding Matters campaign’s key messages focus on HBCUs’ economic, social, and workforce impact,” he explained.
The Our HBCUs Matter Foundation urges students, alumni, policymakers, and corporate sponsors to support this cause as federal funding debates continue. “Success will be measured through policy wins, such as the reinstatement of key federal grants and scholarship programs, securing long-term legislative protections for HBCU funding, and increased public engagement, including mobilization efforts from students, alumni, parents, and the educational community,” says Graham