Driving the news: The Education Department announced Monday it would direct nearly $500 million to HBCUs and tribal colleges and universities. The one-time investment is a nearly 50% increase in funding for HBCUs while it more than doubles the amount tribal colleges received. Several HBCUs did not respond to Axios' requests for comment. Flashback: Trump has positioned himself as a champion for HBCUs. In his first term, he signed a bipartisan law that secured more than $250 million each year to HBCUs and minority-serving institutions,