White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through Historically Black Colleges and Universities

The order establishes the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity Through HBCUs within the Department of Education, led by a presidentially designated Executive Director. It creates an Interagency Working Group composed of liaisons from applicable federal agencies and a President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs of up to 21 members. The Initiative's assigned functions include expanding HBCU access to federal grants and contracts, supporting COVID-19 recovery, fostering public-private partnerships, strengthening a student pipeline, and establishing a federal recruitment pathway for HBCU graduates. It also requires heads of applicable agencies to submit annual Agency Plans by February 1 of each year detailing steps to strengthen HBCU participation in their programs.

The order revokes Executive Order 13779 of February 28, 2017, and supersedes any conflicting prior orders on the same subjects. The Department of Education funds the Initiative and Board within existing appropriations. The order does not itself create new grant programs or change any regulation; actual changes to HBCU access depend on future agency actions, plans, and rulemaking carried out under this structure.

HBCUs and their students, faculty, staff, and alumni; heads of all applicable federal agencies required to submit annual plans; the Department of Education, which hosts and funds the new bodies; and private-sector and philanthropic organizations invited to form partnerships with HBCUs under the Initiative's coordination.

Federal agencies must now formally document and report — each year — on concrete steps to open their programs and funding to HBCUs. HBCU institutions and the nearly 300,000 students they serve gain a dedicated White House-level structure with measurable goals and a direct advisory channel to the President.

The Initiative operates inside the Department of Education, with an Executive Director managing day-to-day work and reporting annually to the President through the Secretary of Education. Applicable agencies submit Agency Plans every February 1; the Executive Director monitors progress and ensures each plan includes measurable, action-oriented goals. The Interagency Working Group, chaired by the Executive Director and drawing from OMB, the Domestic Policy Council, and other EOP offices, coordinates cross-agency execution. The 21-member Board of Advisors advises on priorities. No enforcement mechanism beyond reporting requirements is specified.