Jesse J. Holland

Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Republicans are planning to meet with leaders of historically black colleges and universities in the nation’s capital to discuss ways to help the schools survive in challenging times.

The meeting, spearheaded by U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, will bring leaders from the nation’s 100-plus HBCUs to the Library of Congress on Tuesday, Feb. 28, to meet with Republican officials and supporters and discuss ways for the colleges and universities to work with the federal government and corporations.

President Trump said during his campaign that he wanted to ensure funding for HBCUs, which have been pushing for more high-level attention from leaders in Washington.

There were more than 231,000 students enrolled in HBCUs in 2014, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Almost 80 percent of the students were African-American.

Total enrollment at HBCUs declined from 326,614 to 294,316 between 2010 and 2014, according to the latest information available from the National Center for Education Statistics. The percentage of African-American college students attending an HBCUs also dropped from 18 percent of the overall total in 1976 to 8 percent in 2014.

Johnny Taylor, president of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, said because Republicans are in charge of the White House and Congress, HBCUs cannot afford not to have discussions with the GOP about their future.

“The reality is that if you don’t have Republican support, you may not have federal support at all,” said Mr. Taylor, whose organization works to support HBCUs and their students.

Rep. Walker said he also believes that it is important for both sides to talk.

“I believe it is as important as ever to have Republicans engage with HBCU,” said Rep. Walker, who noted his wife is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, an HBCU. “Our goal is to bring bipartisan support to HBCUs and create an open dialogue to address issues they face.”

Sen. Scott said HBCUs have brought great value to the world.

“For decades, our nation’s HBCUs have graduated amazing and talented individuals who have gone on to achieve remarkable accomplishments,” Sen. Scott said. “From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison and famed writer Langston Hughes, we have seen how HBCU grads have shaped the direction of our country.”

One of these schools was front and center for President Trump’s inauguration.

Talladega College raised more than $670,000 on a GoFundMe page to offset the cost of the school band’s trip to the nation’s capital to march in the inaugural parade, after several other schools declined to participate. The college’s president also received an invitation to the White House afterward, said Talladega College spokesman Greg Wilson.

He said money not used for the trip would be earmarked for new band equipment, school needs and college scholarships.

The school’s band received a great welcome in Washington, and the reaction to their performance has been positive, Mr. Wilson said. But he added that not everyone was happy with the college’s decision to participate.

“There were some individuals, and not just alumni, who are still upset that Talladega College made the decision to march in the parade,” he said.

President Trump got 8 percent of the African-American vote in the Nov. 8 election.