Hirono, Hawaiʻi delegation press Education Department over redirected minority-serving institution funds

US Sen. Mazie Hirono and a group of congressional Democrats are asking the US Department of Education to restore federal money they say was improperly shifted away from minority-serving institutions, a category of colleges that includes schools serving Native Hawaiian and Asian American and Pacific Islander students.

Hirono, a Hawaiʻi Democrat, led a group of lawmakers who sent the letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Patty Murray of Washington, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Alex Padilla of California joined her, along with Congressional Tri-Caucus Chairs Reps. Grace Meng, Adriano Espaillat and Yvette Clarke, all of New York.

Hawaiʻi Sen. Brian Schatz and Reps. Jill Tokuda, who represents Maui, and Ed Case also signed the letter. Dozens of other Democratic senators and House members signed as well.

The lawmakers argue the department redirected funds that Congress set aside in specific amounts for specific purposes. They say the move violates federal law. The letter acknowledges that boosting funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges and Universities is important. But the lawmakers say those increases cannot come at the expense of other institutions serving millions of students.

According to the lawmakers, the department reallocated half of the funds so it could issue a press release before the midterm elections highlighting its support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges. “It is offensive that the Trump administration is pitting these institutions of higher education and the students they serve against each other,” they wrote.

The letter said more than 800 federally recognized Minority-Serving Institutions enroll more than 5 million students. The category includes:

• Hispanic-Serving Institutions
• Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions
• Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions
• Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions
• Predominantly Black Institutions

The lawmakers said these schools have received congressionally directed federal support for more than 30 years.

The letter points to the Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education Act, known as the FUTURE Act. Congress passed it and President Donald Trump signed it in December 2019. It permanently authorized $255 million in annual mandatory funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions.

The lawmakers wrote that the law requires specific amounts for each grant program, and that the department “does not have the unilateral authority to reallocate these funds” without explicit congressional authorization.

They called on the department to “immediately remedy these illegal actions” and restore funds taken from the affected programs. The department had not responded to the letter in the information provided.

To see the full text of the letter, click here.