President Donald Trump plans to pass an executive order to strengthen historically black colleges Tuesday.
The office in charge of the HBCU program will move to the White House from the Department of Education, reports The New York Times.
By doing this, Trump hopes to make black colleges and universities a “priority again,” according to a White House official. The move also makes it easier for the colleges to reach out to government agencies.
Trump hopes this move will allow colleges to help him make the inner cities safe and bring jobs back to those areas.
According to a White House official, the colleges could help “to serve as a strategic partner to the president’s urban agenda of creating jobs and making inner cities safe again.”
Over a dozen HBCU leaders met with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence Monday to discuss black colleges and what they need.
“You deserve far more credit than you get, and know that beginning today, this administration is committed to making sure that our historically black colleges and universities get the credit and the attention they deserve,” Pence said.
They asked for more aid in Pell Grants, assistance for math and science majors and more investment into their colleges.
“HBCUs are real pioneers when it comes to school choice. They are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality. Their success has shown that more options help students flourish,” Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said after the meeting.
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