President and Vice President meet with leaders of black colleges at the White House

The White House Domestic Policy Council hosted a listening session today with over sixty presidents and chancellors of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Before the listening session, all of the HBCU leaders were invited to meet President Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in the Oval Office.

In the listening session, Vice President Mike Pence, along with Secretary DeVos addressed the HBCU leaders. The HBCU listening session also included representatives from several executive departments and agencies, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and White House offices such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Legislative Affairs.  The HBCU leaders discussed ways they could improve education and enhance the infrastructure of their schools. Participants shared expert insights on policy issues impacting their individual campuses.

Vice President Pence emphasized President Trump’s commitment to making HBCUs a priority again. Participants shared best practices and ideas on how to create a better partnership between the Trump Administration and HBCUs.

The listening session also included representatives from leading HBCU organizations: Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund and National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education.

“Know that beginning today, this administration is committed to ensuring that historically black colleges and universities get the credit and the attention they deserve,” Pence said after the meeting. “Our administration at the president’s direction is working to find new ways to expand your impact so that more students, especially in the underserved communities of this country, have a chance at a quality education.”

Some black college administrators say they were disappointed in President Barack Obama for not making the schools a priority and, in some cases, harming their financial health and contributing to declining enrollment with the changes he made to loan programs.

“The president has a strong commitment to them and understands over the last eight years they've been woefully neglected,” White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said. “And I think he wants to really show a commitment. ... And so you’ll see, I think, not just a push this month, but in his budget and going forward.”