For many Black college students, 2025 was not just another academic year; it was a pivotal moment.
It was a crash course in how politics can reshape access, belonging, and opportunity in real time.
From financial aid changes to the rollback of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, policy decisions at the federal and state levels reverberated across campuses, especially at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The result has been heightened stress, declining enrollment at “elite” universities, and a growing push toward historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Nationally, Black student numbers at top PWIs dipped sharply following the 2023 affirmative action ruling, a trend that continued through 2025. At the same time, HBCUs experienced enrollment surges as Black students sought culturally affirming environments where they felt seen, supported, and safer. Financial pressures, unmet mental health needs, and an uptick in micro- and macroaggressions compounded the strain for those who remained at PWIs.
Locally, recent data shows Prairie View A&M (PVAMU) hitting record enrollments, reaching 10,085 in Fall 2025, building on steady growth from 9,400 students in 2023. Texas Southern University (TSU) experienced a slight decline to approximately 8,137 in Fall 2024, following a smaller drop from its 8,469 in Fall 2023. Both universities have generally trended upwards in terms of enrollment over the past few years, despite fluctuations.
To understand what this moment feels like on the ground, The Defender spoke with Black collegians from the Houston area about their lived experiences during what many call the “age of Trump.”
Politics in the classroom and beyond
For Lacey Reynolds, a May 2025 University of Texas graduate with a government degree and now applying to law school, politics were unavoidable.
“With the Texas Capitol Building being just five minutes away from campus, the environment at UT is naturally political,” said Reynolds. “The policies of Trump’s second term were something we talked about a lot, especially being Black students at a PWI, and me being a government major.”
Reynolds noted that UT, a flagship state school, became a testing ground for policy shifts.
“Texas legislative policies are immediately adopted on our campus,” she said.
That reality became especially clear during the 2024 election cycle.
“I volunteered for a particular campaign, and at the watch party for the presidential election, I remember the environment there—and that whole week afterwards—people were really down,” shared Reynolds.
At Prairie View A&M University (PV), freshman biology major Nasya Levi said the conversations differed slightly but carried the same urgency.
“Even though my experience is a little bit different attending an HBCU… some of the financial laws that Trump’s implementing do impact our aid and things that are going on around our campus. So, we comment on those pretty often,” stated Levi.
Jackson Swinton, a UT sophomore double-majoring in theater and sports management, said discussions happen, but often cautiously.
“Some people are uncomfortable talking about it because it just makes them feel uncomfortable,” he said. “But this is a topic we do need to talk about more.”
Financial strain, policy whiplash
Among the most immediate impacts were changes to student aid. Reynolds described the fallout bluntly.
“Being a senior going into Trump’s second presidency, his policies were detrimental to us… That put a cap on financial aid for college students, grad students. There were students losing funding immediately.”
She added that Texas students felt the pain early.
“We had already started to see the effects in Texas before the rest of the country, with the anti-DEI bills passed here,” Reynolds said. “We’ll see these negative impacts beyond Texas in funding, scholarships, the ability to take out loans.”
Levi echoed those concerns from the HBCU perspective.
“Some of my friends are getting less money via scholarships, grants, and loans… because of the changes regarding student aid and FAFSA,” said Levi.
For Swinton, the uncertainty was cumulative.
“The last semester… was a lot of juggling pressure and uncertainty,” he said, pointing to financial aid, academics, and social stressors colliding at once.
Disappearing safe spaces
The dismantling of DEI programs has reshaped campus culture.
“With DEI being taken down, that really affected all clubs and organizations,” Swinton said. “Those safe spaces kind of were eliminated… and it made the campus feel more unstable and unwelcoming.”
He watched organizations that once centered Black and Brown students get “renamed, reduced, or just cut from the school entirely.”
One group he belonged to shifted from an all-Black male organization to a broader, race-neutral structure.
“The best thing we can do is just adapt and keep moving forward,” he said.
At PVAMU, Levi noticed similar effects through tighter budgets.
“Organizations on campus… have less money to create events for students and to plan stuff that we can benefit from as a PV student community,” said Levi.
Texas as a testing ground
Reynolds described Texas as an early warning system.
“Texas was one of the first states to have that big hit against DEI,” she said, referencing Senate Bills 17 and 18. “We saw faculty let go because programs were shut down. Several friends in other states called me to find out how we were dealing with it.”
Parents carry the weight too
The stress does not stop with students. Levi’s mother, Chisa Sallah, said she is proud but concerned.
“I’m very grateful that we haven’t had a problem securing funds,” said Sallah, “but I am concerned… that it won’t be as easily available to attend school without stress.”
For Nicque Montgomery, Swinton’s mother, the toll is heavier.
“The feelings are stressful and downright traumatic because we’re digressing as a country,” said Montgomery. “Our kids have to be almost near perfect.”
Montgomery described weekly check-ins with her son to manage deadlines, taxes, and policy changes.
“It’s a full-time job,” she said. “I can’t just let him figure it out… I can’t afford financially or mentally to let him figure things out completely.”
Still moving forward
Despite the obstacles, none of the students interviewed plan to abandon their goals. Reynolds admitted the climate is daunting.
“It was difficult to figure out if I could make a significant impact,” she said.
Still, she remains committed to the law. “I am more sure than I was previously that this path… is definitely where I need to be,” Reynolds said.
Levi is equally resolute.
“I will find a way to get whatever money that I need and get the resources that I need to accomplish my goals regardless of whatever Trump is implementing.”
Swinton, balancing work with UT athletics and his studies, put it simply: “I am going to make it happen anyway.”
In 2025, Black collegians are learning far more than what’s in their syllabi. They are learning how to persist in a political climate that often feels hostile—while still daring to imagine, and build, a future beyond it.
DN Video: Learn more about the impact on Black college students and their parents.
