Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were established prior to the American Civil War and were created with the principal mission of educating African Americans. The problem that was addressed by this research is that HBCUs are facing declining enrollments and a 42% decrease in federal and state funding that threatens their viability. I used critical race theory (CRT) to examine the problem under study and sought to answer the research questions. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the sustainability of HBCUs that are experiencing declining enrollments and decreases in federal and state funding, and whether online learning is a viable strategy to sustain HBCUs. Critical race theory (CRT) was used to frame the research study. I employed a qualitative methodology with a multiple case study design, utilizing semi-structured interviews and the universities' strategic plans for data collection. Eight administrators from four HBCUs were interviewed regarding the sustainability of operations of HBCUs and whether online learning may improve their sustainability of operations. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed with MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software. Five themes were identified, including competition of peer institutions as a barrier to the sustainability of HBCUs and faculty unprepared to teach online learning as a barrier to sustainability of HBCUs. The participants identified several challenges to the sustainability of HBCUs, and the findings were consistent with previous findings in studies of HBCU sustainability. Implications and recommendations for practice were suggested, as well as recommendations for qualitative policy research on federal funding processes that may benefit HBCUs in accessing more federal funds. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]