Trump Signs Executive Orders To Promote ‘Excellence And Innovation’ At HBCUs, AI In K-12 Education, College Accreditation Accountability

President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders that will impact education.

Historically Black Colleges And Universities

According to a press release, an executive order by Trump establishes a White House Initiative on HBCUs and seeks to enhance the quality of education at these universities through private-sector partnerships, as well as institutional and workforce development in industries such as technology, health care, manufacturing, and finance.

The initiative will also work to ensure federal and state grant dollars are more accessible and plans to launch a yearly White House Summit geared toward HBCUs to determine goals and establish partnerships. At the same time, the order establishes the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, which will exist under the Department of Education and include changemakers in philanthropy, education, business, finance, entrepreneurship, innovation, private foundations, and HBCU presidents.

“HBCUs are essential to fostering opportunity, economic mobility, and national competitiveness, serving as engines of success for American students,” the White House press release mentioned. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to the general welfare and prosperity of the United States while producing many leaders in business, government, academia, and the military. Nearly 300,000 individuals annually pursue their dreams at HBCUs throughout the United States. These institutions generate $16.5 billion in annual economic impact and support over 136,000 jobs, strengthening communities and the Nation.”

AI For K-12 Education

President Donald Trump issued a separate executive order related to education, but with a focus on introducing artificial intelligence (AI) throughout the K-12 levels while continuing to scale its influence. A newly created White House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence Education will be required to forge public-private partnerships with top AI industry organizations, academic institutions, and nonprofit entities with expertise in AI and computer science education to create educational content for K-12 students.

Additional tasks include providing discretionary grant funds to support K-12 AI education that can be dispersed within 180 days of their announcement as well as supporting teachers through training in computer science and AI or related areas.

“By establishing a strong framework that integrates early student exposure with comprehensive teacher training and other resources for workforce development, we can ensure that every American has the opportunity to learn about AI from the earliest stages of their educational journey through postsecondary education, fostering a culture of innovation and critical thinking that will solidify our Nation’s leadership in the AI-driven future,” the press release read.

Holding Accreditors Accountable

An additional executive order focuses on holding accreditors in higher education accountable. They are the decision makers behind over $100 billion in Federal student loans and Pell Grants dispersed each year and are tasked with determining the institutions that are providing quality education. Referencing declining graduation rates, lower performance by graduates, and increasing student debt, President Trump believes accreditors have not been doing their due diligence and cites their DEI standards as one of the causes.

“Notwithstanding this slide in graduation rates and graduates’ performance in the labor market, the spike in debt obligations in relation to expected earnings, and repayment rates on student loans, accreditors have remained improperly focused on compelling adoption of discriminatory ideology, rather than on student outcomes,” the release mentions. “Some accreditors make the adoption of unlawfully discriminatory practices a formal standard of accreditation, and therefore a condition of accessing Federal aid, through ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ or ‘DEI’-based standards of accreditation that require institutions to ‘share results on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the context of their mission by considering . . . demographics . . . and resource allocation.’”

Looking ahead, the White House administration states it will no longer acknowledge accreditors who commit “unlawful discrimination in violation of Federal law.” It grants the Secretary of Education authority to investigate, suspend, and terminate accreditation recognition if the agency is in violation of the new order.