When President Trump announced that nearly $500 million would go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tribal Colleges, according to AP News, it sounded like a big win. Finally, it seemed like these schools, which have been underfunded for decades, were getting the attention they deserve. HBCUs serve students who are often the first in their families to attend college or come from low-income backgrounds. More money could mean better programs, updated facilities, and real opportunities for students to succeed.

However, there is a catch. Reuters reported that this $500 million is not actually new funding. Instead, it is being taken from other Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), like Hispanic-Serving and Asian American and Pacific Islander-Serving schools. So instead of giving more support to minority students overall, the government is just shifting money from one group to another.

This raises a serious question: if many HBCUs are already considered MSIs, are they really getting new money, or is it just being shuffled around? Experts writing in Inside Higher Ed point out that several HBCUs count as MSIs, which makes this move feel more like a reshuffle than a true investment.

HBCUs absolutely deserve more support. These schools have produced generations of Black professionals, educators, and leaders, even with very limited funding. According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, HBCUs enroll only 9 percent of Black college students but produce nearly 20 percent of all Black graduates. That shows how much these schools matter to American higher education.

At the same time, taking money from other MSIs feels like taking money out of one pocket just to put it in another. Students at Hispanic-Serving Institutions face many of the same challenges as HBCU students. The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) reports that these schools enroll over 5 million Latino students, a group that has also been historically underfunded. Why should those students lose funding just so another group can temporarily gain?

This decision creates unnecessary division between schools that should be working together. Instead of lifting all minority-serving institutions at once, it sets them up to compete for limited funding. If the government really wants equity in higher education, the solution is not moving money around; it is increasing total funding so every student has a fair shot.

Yes, HBCUs will benefit, and that is worth celebrating. But the cost is too high if it comes at the expense of other schools. Real progress means consistent, increased investment, not headlines that make it look like progress while leaving other students behind.

Until we know more, I am skeptical. HBCUs need real, long-term support that recognizes their role and challenges, not just money shifted from other programs. Minority-serving institutions should not have to compete with each other for survival. True equity in education means investing in all students, across all campuses that serve them.