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President Of Local HBCU Reflects On Trump Meeting

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- President Donald Trump recently met with dozens of presidents of Historically Black Colleges, including one from our area.

Some condemned the meeting, while others see it as progress.

"It's an opportunity that we'd like to have more often," said Richard Green, Interim President of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania.

Green was among 85 HBCU leaders who spent two days meeting with Trump administration officials. He says they expressed need for more Pell Grants, Parent Plus loans, and $25 billion in funding to split among the 100 Historically Black colleges, to level the playing field.

As for the response:

"They heard what we had to say and would certainly take our request into account," Green said.

President Trump recently signed an executive order putting the HBCU initiative under the White House. Green says it's a symbolic victory, but the impact is unclear.

"We need more dialogue, and we need more specific responses to some of the concerns we expressed about funding," said Green

Howard University was among schools that experienced backlash from students because of the meeting, Green says that did not happen at Lincoln.

The leader of Cheyney University in West Chester was reportedly not in attendance.

You can read the full statement from President Green HERE.

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