>> Some local colleges are up next in the Trump administration's wave of federal funding cuts.

The Education Department is cutting 500 million dollars in grants to universities predominantly serving students of color known as minority serving institutions.

The move is part of the president's efforts to crack down on diversity initiatives.

Joining us to discuss this are the Scot president of Chicago State University and on Zoom, Joyce, Esther, President of Governors, State University.

And Prairie State College President Michael Anthony, thanks to all 3 of you for joining us.

So all of your schools are pb eyes predominantly black institutions, meaning at least 40% of your students, black.

The Trump administration is saying that they are cutting the spending because schools like yours, quote, racially discriminate to meet government government mandated quotas in the back is unconstitutional presidency.

Scott, what do you make of what the department is doing?

First of all, our status as a predominately black institution is one that we received from the Department of Education.

>> Each year we have to recertify that status.

And like you said, it requires that 40% of our student population is black.

But it goes on to say that at least 50% of those students have to be low income or first generation.

And that's your institution's ability to support those students cannot meet if that financial calculation, that means you have the resources to support those students.

We were certified this year by the Department of Education under this administration has a pbi and we have grants from the Department of Education that are that are predominantly black institution grants what it means.

So our students and what it means to all students who are people, all institutions that are pb eyes that we are at risk.

There was a recognition in federal law that this category of students required significant.

That special support.

And that was in legislation that was championed by Senator Barack Obama, Representative Danny Davis in the House.

And when the legislation was passed, it was passed to enlarge grant opportunities for predominantly black institutions and the Department of Education is describing the this minimum requirements in order receive this designation.

40% for black students.

>> Describing this as a quota, would you classify your enrollment that way?

No, I would not classify it as a quota.

I would classify as leveling the playing field.

Many of our coming from underserved populations and schools that had a difficult time preparing them for college.

This is a grant to the institution and not to the student and therefore, I do not view it discrimination.

I view it the sort of the calculation it's questionable.

They have not attacked the legislation, but they have attacked the institutions.

>> Well, the President Anthony Prairie State College.

How much of your schools budget relies on on federal funding in this particular designated pbi funding?

Thank you so much for a portion of our budget.

>> for does not believe arch, but it is critical to continue the support for the students.

And want to be really clear about this notion of quotas is so troubling because we are community college.

So it's important differentiate many colleges Collins on all.

when clothing for both these are students.

These are your citizens, statements that are in this community Jews come ready walk.

Students are from the south which are going in region.

This is not a quota of this is to So that actually tied PPI.

happy be its But the government away to other students That's how we get the most.

>> Same question to President.

Esther, I know you are newish to the job compared to your colleagues, but how much of your schools budget would you say relies on this kind of federal funding and what it means for your school?

>> Yeah, my answer would be very much the same.

And again, thank you.

And newish meeting as of But I would agree with Dr Anthony that it really is about the students we serve.

It's not about recruiting.

It's about meeting the needs of area and the students who have unmet needs the students who have maybe not have been served in our society early are on.

And so they need these extra supports.

And we're also talking about not just about race, but we're talking about the impact of poverty, the impact of other in other kinds of.

Things that manifest in their educational system.

And so for me, I think that it is unfortunate.

And I really agree with what doctor that just gotta said is that it is about leveling the playing field is not about having someone get something extra.

It's about making sure that all the students get what they need.

>> We talked about this, you know, just a little bit of President Anthony, you know, what was original intent of these designations of, you know, designating schools as minority serving institutions sending more funding that way as a result.

>> Door in face of the part of education that not saying that, but it does.

It makes them sick.

I think as a as a leader higher education.

But also I thought representatives it is a very, very clean efficient way identify where students need to.

Close services are popular where there were there school.

Again, idea that this effort we are pushing stocks in this aside certain photo, certain that, does it.

It doesn't make sense.

It's not particularly college level.

We're we're open enrollment institution and yet lots of seats to it.

So they're more more to students to come here.

All that It.

It does a lot of designation quickly identifies.

We are some of our students who by populations him to it, too.

But it is for the buck or any >> According to post-secondary National Policy Institute, Illinois has the second highest concentration of predominantly black colleges.

Second to Georgia on data from the Department of Chicago state student body is 76% black and 7% Hispanic prairie state students are 54% black and 23% Hispanic.

Governor State is 41% black and 20% Hispanic President Scott, I mean, you know, we just heard President Anthony discuss it a bit as well.

How is it that that you're universities that your schools end up with this enrollment with the student body with I want a concentration, but you have your predominately black sea have a large and woman in black schools and some black students excuse me and some Hispanic in your case.

So we're located on the south side of Chicago and we are largely your commute, commuter campus.

So our campus attracts students living with coat that are close to Chicago State University.

>> And that is primarily black.

We did not start out this way.

We started out as a teacher's college, but through changing demographics in our neighborhoods, we became predominately black and that happening around the 1960's.

So then who the students who attend Chicago State come within a certain radius up a radius of the institution.

And so you mentioned, you know, that's shift began to happen in the 60's because I found it interesting that last week the administration >> eliminated this particular funding for in a size, right, minority serving institutions.

And then this week touted.

But it is diverting 500 million dollars to HBC use historically black colleges and universities.

Those founded before 1964. as well as tribally controlled school's president.

Esther, what do you make of that shift in funding?

>> I'm not really sure what to make of the funding because both designations, whether it be HBC use whether PPP eyes, all of us for all of the things that we've been saying already.

Our students want and need and deserve the services that we provide for them.

And so I think movie coming of the dollars out of the PP eyes were ages size into HBC use.

It just really feels like you're moving things around the test board instead of really addressing the 2 needs that we have.

>> President Anthony, we've got just a couple of seconds left.

Would you describe, you know, any difference isn't in what the school's offer HBC use versus any in the site.

>> If they offer range wonderful things populations of patients use out of the store.

But that solution type of this to show they are.

offer our research go to programs that But the reality is that act as to what why didn't the slice down?

It's to take one area to other.

Even though and she a start widen the circle she does.

>> Okay.

best of luck to each of you as you work through