President Donald Trump's administration is looking at ways to ease the regulatory burden on historically black colleges and funnel more money to them through an executive order that is in the early stages of preparation.

The executive order will cement support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) as a priority of the Republican president who's statements about his predecessor's birth place have been widely interpreted as racist.

'I think at its core these charges of being racist, I think they really bother him,' a person familiar with the administration's outreach told DailyMail.com. 'I think there's a sincerity to engage.'

President Donald Trump's administration is looking at ways to ease the regulatory burden on historically black colleges and funnel more money to them through an executive order that is in the early stages of preparation. He's seen with Omarosa Maigault during a meeting in which she revealed plans for the order on Feb. 1

The more than 100 facilities in the United States designated as HBCUS, colleges and universities founded before 1964 with the stated purpose of educating African-Americans, have a combined enrollment of some 300,000 students.

Trump and members of his staff working on the executive action met last week with representatives of those higher education institutions to discuss possible changes. The White House is continuing to talk to stakeholders at it puts together a package.

Ja'Ron Smith, the president's policy adviser on Urban Affairs and Revitalization, and Omarosa Manigault, an assistant to the president and the director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison, are taking a lead role in forming the president's policy.

They each have degrees from Howard University - a prominent HBCU that's located in Washington, D.C.

The White House's domestic policy council has been meeting with major HBCU organizations to get their input on the order, a person involved in the talks said.

'Omarosa stated there that this was a priority...that HBCU's have more attention.'

White House officials did not immediately offer a comment.

Trump and members of his staff working on the executive action met last week with representatives of those higher education institutions to discuss possible changes. The White House is continuing to talk to stakeholders at it puts together a package

A timeline has not been set for finishing the order that would direct executive agencies across the government to slash regulations that HBCUs have identified as having a negative effect on them and other higher education institutions.

One regulation HBCUs are eyeing is an Obama-era rule that would force businesses and institutions to provide overtime pay to an additional 4.2 million Americans.

'They are at this time in the process of gathering information, and listening and getting input from stakeholders,' the insider said.

The Trump White House could also use the order to require that departments give more money to HBCUs through the use of grants.

'I think because this is dealing with the black community...and question of how genuine he is about it, I think this is why they are doing their due diligence,' the source said. 'Because you don't have to do an executive order, and I think the fact that he wants to do one is a testament that he wants to do it right.'

HBCU advocates are also pushing the president, who promised during his campaign to fund the schools, not to cut their funding when he proposes his first budget, due to Congress this month.

President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president, allowed George W. Bush's $85 million initiative to sunset when he took office, angering the black community. Obama reinstated the Bush-era funding amid backlash.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer sent the above photo and tweet showing the MLK Jr. bust in the Oval Office after a report inaccurately claimed it had been removed - Trump also made a point of showing it off behind closed doors

His administration argued that it provided more more money to HBCUs through an increase in its federal grant allocations. But the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which lobbies on behalf of HBCUs, has noted that the bulk of that money went to other educational institutions.

Before Obama took office, from 2000 to 2008, HBCUs received 3.5 percent of the federal dollars, on average. By 2013, they were getting 2.8 percent of the pot.

Still, they are getting $1.5 billion more a year in federal funding than they were before, according to The Undefeated.

The person involved in the talks with the current administration says there's 'a hope' that when Trump says he'll 'fully support' HBCUs the money Bush set aside and Obama cut, and then replaced, stays in the budget.

Trump met with stakeholders to discuss possible actions as he celebrated his first Black History Month as president and pushed back on an inaccurate report that he had removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office.

The source involved in the talks said that Trump showed off the bust behind closed doors, in addition to comments he made about King, who's 'incredible example was unique in American history,' the president said, in front of the cameras.

'These charges of race...really bother people,' the attendee said of Trump and members of his administration. 'I know it bothers President Trump.'

Using the MLK bust as an example, the source said of Trump: 'He made the point when cameras were there, and then after. If it was just for show, he wouldn't have brought it up again.'