Mitchell Wellman

University of Virginia

As numerous heads of historically black colleges and universities have been convening in Washington with the president, vice president and lawmakers, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a statement characterizing HBCUs as "real pioneers" in her department's mission to create more educational options for underserved communities. DeVos also delivered remarks about HBCUs at a congressional luncheon.

"HBCUs are real pioneers when it comes to school choice," the statement read. "They are living proof that when more options are provided to students, they are afforded greater access and greater quality. Their success has shown that more options help students flourish."

Linking HBCUs with the "pioneering spirit" stirred controversy. Many fired back that HBCUs were founded not to create more choices, but because black people were barred from other institutions.

Today, DeVos pivoted a bit in her remarks at the HBCU Congressional Luncheon, recognizing that necessity played a role in the history of HBCUs.

"But your history was born, not out of mere choice, but out of necessity, in the face of racism, and in the aftermath of the Civil War," DeVos said. "HBCUs remain at the forefront of opening doors that had previously been closed to so many. You made higher education accessible to students who otherwise would have been denied the opportunity."

DeVos replicated the statement on Twitter shortly after her remarks.

Also during the luncheon, DeVos cited the civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune as a personal inspiration and an example of commitment to educating students.

"Born to parents who knew the horrors of slavery, Mary was the only member of her family to attend school," DeVos said. "And when she came home each night, she taught her siblings everything she had learned. She went from that one room school house to founding a university that today bears her name."

DeVos used the anecdote to illustrate her point of challenging the "status quo" in education.

She also addressed the subject of educational affordability at HBCUs, citing her recent visit to Howard University and their plan to cut tuition.

Related: Trump moves to support HBCUs, but he has a trust issue to overcome

"On my second day on the job as Secretary of Education, I visited Howard University to meet with Dr. Wayne Fredrick and student leaders," she said. "We had a very constructive conversation, and I was impressed by the university's plans to implement a program to provide four years of undergraduate college education at the cost of three."

A student group at Howard spoke out against the visit from DeVos.

DeVos says she's on a mission to make higher education "not only an achievable goal, but a more affordable one."

Related: Public university students react to Betsy DeVos' confirmation as Secretary of Education

And she issued a promise to HBCUs that she would send them prepared students ready to explore institutes of higher education.

"And I promise you this: I will do my utmost to make sure more students reach your campuses truly ready for the opportunities you offer," she said. "Remediation of students in their college careers -- a far too common occurrence across this country -- is an admission that we, as a nation, have failed a student. It's a failure that is unacceptable."

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today, the last day of Black History Month, that would move a federal initiative on HBCUs from the purview of Department of Education to the Domestic Policy Council in the White House. DeVos cited the pending executive order as evidence that the Trump Administration is a "strong partner" to HBCUs.

Mitchell Wellman is a student at the University of Virginia and a USA TODAY College digital producer.

This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.